PhD position: Green Steel; predictive micro-mechanical models to for steels including increased levels of scrap

Societal demands on reducing the environmental impact of the steel making requires changes in the processes that have been used for decades if not centuries. Current vision on how to implement these changes is still developing but what is clear is that the raw material that goes into steel making will change to include both increased levels of scrap and DRI (direct reduced iron). On the other hand the new alloys must still meet the demands of the other industries that rely on the mechanical properties of steel to make their products, such as automotive, bearings, electrical motors etc. The challenge however is that due to the added constraints on the processing of steel the microstructures will change leading to unknown product properties.

The aim of this project is to advance existing micromechanical models such as the well established Crystal Plasticity method to take into account strain rate and size effects. The microstructure of different types of steels such as Advanced High Strength Steels, Electrical Steel, Bainitic and Bearing steel will be modeled using the advanced models and the various aspects of changes in microstructures will be analyzed to understand and quantify the final mechanical properties of the product.

For this project, we are looking for a PhD candidate with relevant expertise. The candidate will report their research during bi-weekly meetings of our research group and quarterly meetings with the industrial partners. The candidate is encouraged to interact significantly with the industrial partner and present results at the international scientific conferences and publish them in academic literature. Furthermore, the researcher will be encouraged to tutor MSc students who do their final assignment on sub-projects pertaining to the current research project.

The PhD research will be performed in the chair of Nonlinear Solid Mechanics.

You have obtained MSc. Degree in Mechanical/Material Engineering or a related discipline with excellent results and special interest in modelling of materials and production processes. Prior knowledge in Nonlinear Solid Mechanics, computational methods, material science and experimental methods is required. Ideally, you have a proven background in finite element method, crystal plasticity and sheet metal forming.

We encourage candidates with strong communication skills who like to present their work at conferences and (project) meetings. Proficiency in English is required, both spoken and written. You need to provide IELTS test results (minimum score 6.5), TOEFL-iBT (minimum score 90).

Please submit your application before June 16th, 2025 using the “Apply now” button, and include:

• curriculum vitae
• letter of motivation
• grades of the BSc and MSc courses
• IELTS or TOEFL score
• contact information of 2 references

The intended starting date is between September and October 2025.

For more information you can contact: Prof. Ton van den Boogaard, head of the chair Nonlinear Solid Mechanics, e-mail: a.h.vandenboogaard@utwente.nl

Dr. Semih Perdahcioglu, e-mail: e.s.perdahcioglu@utwente.nl, phone: +31 (0)53 489 4785

First (online) interviews will be held in the week of June 23rd and 27th, 2025.