Join us in shaping the future of sustainable materials for aviation and renewable energy.
Job descriptionNatural composite materials exhibit highly specialized heterogeneous architectures, finely tuned to meet functional demands. Examples include plant cellulose structures and mineralized collagen in bone and teeth. These natural systems combine opposing properties, such as strength and low density or stiffness and wear resistance, highlighting their potential to overcome limitations in human-made fiber-reinforced composites. However, replicating this complexity remains a challenge due to current manufacturing limitations in controlling composition and fiber orientation.
To address this gap, we aim to develop fundamental insights into creating novel microstructures using discontinuous recycled carbon fibers to manufacture biologically inspired composites with unprecedented heterogeneous architectures. Recycled fibers hold significant promise in stress-critical applications during their second life cycle, provided critical hurdles are overcome.
As a Postdoc researcher, your focus will include scaling and mechanical characterization of these innovative material concepts, alongside exploring end-of-life solutions. This work will complement efforts by another PhD researcher specializing in microbiology, genetic engineering, and biomaterials.
Proposed Research Objectives:
- Fabrication and Demonstration: Develop sub-meter scaled demonstrators that can be shaped into composites, disassembled, and reused across multiple life cycles.
- Scientific Challenges:
- Optimize the use of reinforcements/tapes in structural components.
- Evaluate the impact of manufacturing processes on previously achieved functionalization.
- Study (de)consolidation behaviors and product quality under fast heating and cooling rates during additive manufacturing and automated fibre placement.
- Leverage material functionalization for easy disassembly (design for disassembly).
- Analyze property and quality variations over multiple processing cycles.
Why Join Us? Shape the Future of Sustainable Materials!
- Shape the Future: Contribute to a pioneering project that combines science, creativity, and sustainability to transform industries.
- Supportive Environment: Thrive in a collaborative team where your voice matters, your ideas are valued, and diverse perspectives are celebrated.
- Sustainable Impact: Lead cutting-edge materials research addressing critical global challenges in aviation, energy, and beyond.
- Real-World Applications: Bring your work to life with scaled demonstrators, making a tangible impact on sustainable solutions.
You hold a PhD in a materials science, engineering or a related discipline. You have an excellent scientific track record through the achievements in your research. You are proficient in meticulous lab work, chemical/mechanical characterisation and skilled in turning an idea into a prototype implementation. You enjoy pioneering new ideas, linking results with physical experiments and thrive in an interactive, collaborative research environment. Further, you have good English communication skills and a strong drive for academic excellence.
TU DelftDelft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.
At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.
Challenge. Change. Impact!
Faculty Aerospace EngineeringThe Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world's most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.
Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.
26 February 2025
- CV
- Motivational letter
- Master thesis
- Your most significant publication
Please note:
- You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
- A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
- For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
- Applying for an exemption for specific research and educational areas is an obligatory part of the selection procedure for this vacancy. This exemption must be obtained from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) before an employment contract is agreed upon. Click for more information.
- Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
Het salaris bedraagt €3378 - €5331