PhD position Dynamics of 3D-printed polymer metamaterials (1.0 FTE)

We are looking for a PhD candidate to develop, manufacture, and test elastic metamaterials with unusual dynamic properties that can be produced from polymers by additive manufacturing techniques and possess desired (practically advantageous) material behavior (e.g., reduced brittleness, controllable viscosity, improved flexibility, etc.).

Elastic metamaterials extend traditional limits on material and mechanical behavior by tailoring the geometry and arrangement of constituent building blocks. Recent designs of the metamaterials reveal counterintuitive properties such as auxetic behavior (expanding when stretched), energy focusing (lensing), and cloaking (making an embedded object unnoticed). Ideally, these and other functionalities are governed solely by the geometry of building blocks (the metamaterial architecture)and are independent of the properties of base materials. In practice, however, the mechanical behavior of base materials can influence and even suppress metamaterial functionalities.

This project aims to uncover the relations between base materials and architecture for additively manufactured polymeric metamaterials. Polymers are ideal ingredients for metamaterials as they exhibit a broad range of material behaviour (from soft to rigid, from lossless to highly dissipative) that can be controlled by mixing polymer constituents or by the production process. Besides, polymers are abundant in additive manufacturing (AM) – a versatile platform to fabricate metamaterials that offers scalability and unique control over the metamaterial composition and configuration.

The two main goals are:

1. to study the effects of additively manufactured polymers on the dynamics in metamaterials.
2. to leverage optimal polymer compositions for manufacturing metamaterials with predicted mechanical characteristics.

The derived material-architecture relationships will be tested experimentally on prototypes produced by commercial additive manufacturing techniques. The results of this project will allow accurately predicting the dynamics of polymeric metamaterials that has been challenging so far and thus will open the potential of metamaterials to real-world applications. The PhD candidate will be supervised by Dr Anastasiia O. Krushynska (CMME group) and Prof. Ranjita Bose (CPE group).

You should have:

• a Master degree in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, Aerospace Engineering, Civil Engineering, or equivalent disciplines
• skilled experience in computational dynamics or experimental material characterization (preferable)
• knowledge of, or willingness to learn, polymer structure-property relationships
• willingness to explore new research directions and “mechanical intuition” will be a plus.

We are searching for a passionate and enthusiastic student with an interest in the fundamental and applied aspects of research. You will work within a team in a multidisciplinary research environment (Materials Science, Ultrasonics, Polymer Science, Chemical Engineering). Thus, the desire to learn new topics and the ability to communicate research results are of a special importance. In the course of this project, you will develop yourself as a researcher who is able to present cutting-edge research results in high-quality publications and leading international (interdisciplinary) conferences of specialists and to broader audiences. The ability to work in a group and a very good knowledge of English are highly appreciated.

We offer you in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities:

• a salary of € 2,541 gross per month in the first year, up to a maximum of € 3,247 gross per month in the fourth and final year
• a holiday allowance of 8% gross annual income
• an 8.3% end-of-the-year allowance
• a temporary fulltime (1.0 FTE) position of one year with the option of renewal for another three years. Prolongation of the contract is contingent on sufficient progress in the first year to indicate that you successfully complete your PhD thesis within the next three years. The position has a duration to a period of 4 years. A PhD training program is part of the agreement and you will be enrolled in the Graduate School of Science and Engineering.

Founded in 1614, the University of Groningen enjoys an international reputation as a dynamic and creative institution of higher education offering high-quality guiding and research. Flexible study programs and academic career opportunities in a wide variety of disciplines support the 36 000 students and researchers alike to develop their own individual talents. As one of the best research universities in Europe, we join efforts with other top universities and networks worldwide to become a truly global center of knowledge.

The Computational Mechanical and Materials Engineering (CMME) group of the Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG) is active in various research fields including advanced materials, energy and systems complexity, manufacturing of complex materials. Our research mainly focuses on (meta-) material design, modeling methods and tools, and engineering systems, ranging from the atomistic world up to the scale of mechanical devices and systems of devices. The Chemical Product Engineering (CPE) group aims at performing research for the design of new or improved chemical products. Particular attention is devoted to the development of polymer structure-property relationships for the development of new functional materials and specific applications of polymeric materials. ENTEG seeks at performing excellent research and guiding directed at the integration of fundamental and engineering sciences.