Polymer Senior Chemist

If you believe you are the ideal candidate for our Polymer Chemist role and are motivated to fiber chemical development, product improvement, and industrial-scale applications, we would be pleased to meet you.

https://www.aksa-carbon.com/tr/

More About This Role

What you need to know about this position:

• MSc degree in Chemistry or Polymer Chemistry/Sciences
• Preferably PhD in related fields on Polymer chemistry specifically synthetic fibers, thermoset and thermoplastic resins, carbon fiber and composites
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in R&D units preferably in polymeric materials industries, able to quantify results, leading projects, improvement activities
• Deep understanding of polymerization kinetics, polymer rheology, fiber spinning mechanisms, and textile chemistry.
• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of thermal behavior, degradation pathways, and structural transitions of polymers under high temperatures.
• Possess hands-on analytical equipment capabilities (GPC, FTIR, Rheometer, DSC, TGA etc.) along with wet chemistry experience
• Proficiency in written and spoken English to effectively handle technical correspondence with international suppliers, write detailed technical reports, and follow global literature/patents.
• Good knowledge in MS Office and MS Project
• Residing or be willing to relocate to Yalova, İzmit, or the Anatolian side of Istanbul.
• Having no obstacle for travelling inland or abroad
• Competent in teamwork, strong analytical approach, enable a learning approach to solve problems.

Job Description

• Monitor, control, and optimize acrylonitrile (AN) co-polymerization processes, reactor parameters, and polymer Molecular Weight Distribution (MWD).
• Optimize the rheological behavior of polymer dopes and fine-tune process parameters (temperature, draw ratios, bath concentrations) in wet spinning or dry-jet wet spinning lines to enhance precursor structural integrity.
• Lead industrial trials for novel spin finish oils and sizing agents to resolve fiber cohesion, static buildup, or filament fusion issues during high-speed processing.
• Design, implement, and modify process recipes for thermal stabilization (oxidation) and high-temperature carbonization furnaces, focusing on controlling cyclization kinetics and maximizing carbon yield.
• Responsible from research, synthesis, formulation and development of fiber chemicals related products (primarily water-based emulsion, dispersions, surface coatings) including cost estimates, testing procedures, storage and shipping requirements,
• Conduct and interpret a wide range of analytical tests throughout the production steps, including elemental analysis, FTIR, DSC, TGA, XRD, and single-filament tensile testing.
• Correlate process variations with final carbon fiber properties (tensile strength, modulus, density, surface chemistry) to establish robust operating windows and meet target customer specifications.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve process bottlenecks, filament breakages, or chemical inconsistencies on the production line using advanced troubleshooting methodologies and statistical tools (DoE, SPC).
• Providing and maintaining detailed documentation and procedures for all work performed.