Are you passionate about making polymer materials more sustainable and really tackle an urgent societal challenge? Do you want to work in a large multidisciplinary team to develop better-recyclable engineering plastics? And do you have a broad interest in polymer chemistry and technology? Then, you may be the perfect candidate for our PhD position!

Job Description

For a recently awarded research grant by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), we are looking for a PhD student to come and join our consortium. In addition to Eindhoven University of Technology, this consortium consists of partners from Wageningen University, Avans University of Applied Sciences and SABIC as industrial partner.

The aim of the program is to increase the recyclability of an important class of engineering plastics: polycarbonates. For this, we will (chemically) modify polycarbonates by dynamic-covalent chemistry. These new polymers will be combined with existing polycarbonate (as part of a recycling stream) to achieve (re)processing that is compatible with existing infrastructure. The overall project will cover topics from organic/polymer synthesis, polymer processing and characterisation, ageing and recycling studies, as well as socio-economic analyses related to the acceptance of these new materials.

As PhD student you will work with Dr. Hans Heuts in the Supramolecular Polymer Chemistry group at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry. Together with a second PhD student in the group of Maarten Smulders at Wageningen University (www.smulderslab.nl) you will develop novel, better recyclable, polycarbonates. You will work on optimizing these novel materials and their larger-scale synthesis, establishing structure-property relationships, the processing and re-processing of these materials and their compatibility with existing commercial polycarbonates. It is expected that you will also spend time in Wageningen, and that you will work together with the other consortium partners on further material characterization, recycling and industrial implementation.

• A MSc degree (or equivalent university degree) in Polymer Chemistry, Polymer Technology, Materials Science, or related discipline.
• You have a solid background in polymer chemistry and materials characterization.
• You are a naturally curious person, eager to learn and to collaborate with researchers in a multidisciplinary setting.
• You are a team player with good communications skills.
• You like to work in an internationally oriented, social environment.
• You are fluent in spoken and written English

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale 27 (min. €2,541 max. €3,247).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.