Thesis on White Bronze Coatings for High‑Current Electrical Contacts

About the role

ABB is offering a thesis project to investigate White Bronze (Cu‑Sn‑Zn) as a single‑layer functional coating for high‑current electrical contacts. The work will be carried out jointly at Luleå University of Technology and ABB Corporate Research in Västerås, Sweden, from October 2026 to July 2027.

Key responsibilities

• Evaluate fretting resistance and electrical stability of White Bronze coatings without a barrier layer.
• Study coating composition, microstructure, hardness, conductivity, diffusion behavior and interface stability.
• Collaborate with ABB Motion High Power Drives and academic partners to design experiments and analyse results.

Required profile

• Technical background in chemistry, physics, materials science or related fields.
• Strong understanding of metal/alloy and tribology concepts.
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written) and ability to work independently.

Required skills

• Materials science and tribology knowledge.
• Experience with metal alloy analysis.
• Coding skills (optional but beneficial).