Yara is looking for a master's student to join a six to eight week summer internship in Porsgrunn, Norway, from June to August 2027, characterizing calcium nitrate salt mixtures for fertilizer product development. The work is mostly practical laboratory tasks at the Yara Technology Center, including XRD and DSC characterization, and applications close on 19 November 2026. At Youth Works Hub, we went through the full vacancy and set out the project, tasks and requirements below.
About Yara and the Technology Center
Yara is part of a global network, collaborating to profitably and responsibly solve some of the world's key challenges: resource scarcity, food insecurity and environmental change.
Mastering technology has always been key to the commercial success of Yara's products. Yara's Technology Center, located in Porsgrunn, Norway, is a vital contributor to this success. At the Technology Center, teams work to improve existing processes and technologies and to develop new and innovative solutions for processes and products.
The Summer Project
Yara is looking for students to work on its summer projects. For this position, the work is linked to ongoing projects in the Product Quality and Development Department, within the field of product development for fertilizer products.
Fertilizers are typically produced by solidifying molten salt mixtures into particles through granulation or prilling. Developing new fertilizer products requires a thorough understanding of the physical properties of these mixtures. Preliminary studies of calcium nitrate-based salt mixtures indicate that they can remain liquid even below their melting point due to supercooling, which makes effective particle formation difficult.
This project focuses on the formulation, characterization and evaluation of various calcium nitrate salt mixtures. The investigation aims to study the supercooling effects and potential solutions to minimize them. The main part of the work consists of practical laboratory tasks.
Responsibilities
The tasks include, but are not limited to:
📖 Literature review and theoretical studies
🧫 Laboratory work, including preparation of salt mixtures and salt melts
🔍 Characterization of the mixtures with XRD and DSC
🎓 Training is provided
🗣️ Reporting and presentation in English
Who Should Apply
🧑🎓 A 3rd or 4th year student pursuing a master's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry or process chemistry
🥽 Practical experience with working safely in a laboratory is an advantage
💪 A self-driven, responsible person who is able to communicate in a diverse work environment
🌐 Fluent in English; a Scandinavian language is an advantage
Duration and Location
🗓️ The project lasts 6-8 weeks, from June to August 2027.
📍 The internship takes place in Porsgrunn, Norway.
Explore more placements in the Internship section on Youth Works Hub →.
Contact Details
Yara lists two contacts for questions about this project:
👩🔬 Solveig Rørkjær, Department Director Product Quality and Development
👨🔬 Mathis Antlauf, Senior Research Engineer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Yara calcium nitrate summer internship about?
The project focuses on the formulation, characterization and evaluation of calcium nitrate salt mixtures used in fertilizer product development, with the aim of studying supercooling effects and ways to minimize them. Most of the work is practical laboratory work.
How long is the internship and where is it?
It lasts 6-8 weeks from June to August 2027 at Yara in Porsgrunn, Norway.
Who can apply?
Yara looks for a 3rd or 4th year student pursuing a master's degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry or process chemistry. Fluent English is required, and practical laboratory safety experience and a Scandinavian language are advantages.
Will I get training?
Yes. The vacancy states that training will be provided for the laboratory work, which includes characterization with XRD and DSC.
Deadline
⏳ 19 November 2026
Links
🔗 Yara vacancy and application page: https://jobs.yara.com/job/Porsgrunn-Summer-Intern-Characterization-of-calcium-nitrate-salt-mixtures/1445891133/
📧 Solveig Rørkjær: solveig.rorkjar@yara.com
📞 Solveig Rørkjær: +47 91697802
📧 Mathis Antlauf: mathis.antlauf@yara.com
📞 Mathis Antlauf: +47 93078447
