Modeling and Physical Properties Intern (Spring/Summer 2024)

About Lubrizol  
The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is committed to enabling a sustainable future. Our unmatched science unlocks immense possibilities at the molecular level, driving sustainable and measurable results to help the world Move Cleaner, Create Smarter and Live Better. Our solutions are used by people every day, improving billions of lives around the world. 

We value diversity in professional backgrounds and life experiences. By enabling a consistent, unbiased, and transparent recruitment process, Lubrizol seeks to create a positive experience for candidates so we can get to know them at their best. We recognize unique work and life situations and offer flexibility, ensuring our employees feel engaged and fulfilled in every aspect of life. 

Modeling & Physical Properties Internship (Spring/Summer 2024)

Lubrizol is seeking a driven and enthusiastic post-graduate intern for a physical properties and process modeling role. This position is available to December 2023 graduates to intern from May to August 2023, exact dates negotiable, prior to entering graduate school. If you are interested in joining an exciting and dynamic research and development team in the specialty chemicals industry, we encourage you to apply!

The ideal candidate for the Physical Properties Intern position should be capable of performing the following tasks:

1. Gathering or searching for available physical property data in Lubrizol internal systems.
2. Searching for physical property data available in the open literature.
3. Coordinating physical property testing for Lubrizol materials.
4. Estimating and regressing physical property parameters.
5. Working with process development teams to assess and prioritize physical property needs.
6. Collaborating with engineers to develop kinetics for selected processes, including
   1. researching the open literature for relevant reaction mechanisms
   2. researching the open literature for relevant kinetic rate constant values
   3. analyzing Lubrizol data to determine kinetic rate constants
   4. building reaction kinetics into Aspen Plus models

The intern absolutely must have a working knowledge of Aspen Plus.  Knowledge of specific Aspen Plus features for physical property analysis, including the Property Constant Estimation System (PCES), the Data Regression System (DRS), and Assay and pseudo-components features is a plus, but not required.  Familiarity with Excel is required and experience with Excel macros is strongly desired, but not required.  The intern must have excellent analytical capability and must be able to pick up new skills quickly.  General knowledge of lubricant additive chemistries is a plus but is not required.

The intern will work closely with the Process Modeling Consultant and process development teams to (a) develop prioritized lists of components requiring additional or improved physical properties characterization, (b) coordinate physical properties testing as needed, (c) conduct physical properties characterization on selected components, (d) provide assistance to engineers as needed in developing process models, and (e) provide assistance as needed in training engineers in the use of Aspen Plus and related software.

Through this internship, the intern may expect to:

• Gain an understanding of Lubrizol, the Specialty Chemicals Industry, and the types of markets that Lubrizol serves
• Get to know and network with a diverse group of Lubrizol employees and co-ops
• Become familiar with the breadth of roles for a chemical engineer within a specialty chemicals company
• Gain an understanding of R&D work in a corporate environment
• Participate in many co-op / intern events throughout the assignment
• Develop skills required of R&D engineers who work within the Chemical Process Industries
• Gain an understanding of the importance of physical properties in scaling chemical processes
• Gain practical experience in estimating physical properties and regressing data
• Develop analysis skills and systems thinking that will be critical in graduate studies and subsequent career.
• Increase expertise in and experience with Aspen Plus
• Have professional experience prior to starting as a PhD candidate

Benefits of Lubrizol’s Internship Program:  

• Rewarding your hard work! 
  • Competitive pay 
  • Holiday pay for holidays that fall within your work period 
  • Tuition reimbursement for fees associated with interning 
  • Housing assistance and relocation assistance is offered to students with a permanent residence that is greater than 35 miles from their assigned work location(s) 
• Diverse experiences with the stability of one employer. We ask co-ops to visit one of our many locations across the country for one of their work sessions; this provides a deeper understanding of different businesses, products, processes, and people. 
• FUN! We a variety of events and activities for our students. Past events include attending sports events, paid volunteering days, and even a picnic hosted by our CEO! 
• Grow professionally. All co-ops present their work at the end of each work session. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your public speaking skills and hear what other co-ops are doing. 
• Full-time opportunities after graduation. Our engineering co-op program is an important vehicle for hiring full-time engineers at Lubrizol. In fact, more than 70% of co-ops come to Lubrizol after graduation. Two of our most well-known former co-ops include former Lubrizol Presidents and CEOs. 

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If you’re interested in the position, we encourage you to apply. Lubrizol is always looking for candidates who embody our cultural beliefs in everything they do. If you’re All In, Lead Decisively, Take Action, Think External, and can Be Courageous, Lubrizol could be the place for you.