This PhD position is part of the Dutch national project Circular Circuits, funded by NOW. Circular Circuits is a multidisciplinary collaborative research project focused on developing a fully circular generation of electronics.It will develop solutions to overcome technical, economic and societal bottlenecks for lifetime extension, reuse, repair, refurbishment and recycling through the development of a new generation of electronic components, product-service design and advanced recycling technology. Circular innovations will result in an elimination of the concept of e-waste and to substantial savings of (critical) raw materials and energy. The programme is executed by a large consortium of academic research groups and associated industrial partners.The ambition of the project is to develop a fully circular generation of electronics on a component, printed circuit board (PCB) and product level:

• Eliminating the concept of e-waste;
• Leading to strongly improved lifetimes and closed product, component and material loops;
• And drastically reducing the need to primary (critical) materials.

As part of the whole product and materials value chain, efficient recycling and recovery of all materials when the electronic products reach their end of life, become very important.

As a PhD candidate, you will explore the optimal metallurgical routes and to develop more efficient separation and recovery technologies for processing specific material streams resulting from component-based sorting and separation processes. The focus will be on the exploration of a full hydrometallurgical recycling route. Various new leaching and separation methods will be theoretically evaluated and experimentally investigated for better selective recovery of different metal species from the upgraded materials streams. Effective low temperature PCB depolymerisation method will be developed to substantially increase the leaching efficiency of various metals inside the PCBs. Up-concentration and extraction of dilute metal species as trace elements from the bulk leaching solutions by using MRT (molecular recognition technology)  will be investigated targeting the precious metals and PGMs in the electronic wastes. Furthermore electro-chemical methods will be studied for both selective dissolution and final metal recovery. Finally, integration of the whole hydrometallurgy recycling route will be conducted and evaluated.

The research will be carried out at the research group Metals Production Refining and Recycling (MPRR) within the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, faculty 3mE, Delft University of Technology. Close cooperation will be made with other partners within the same work package (WP4) of the project: the PhD researcher from faculty Civil Engineering and Geosciences (Resources & Recycling Group) for sorting and mechanical separation, TNO, as well as Saxion University of Applied Sciences, to tackle the challenges in sorting and process integration.  

We are looking for an inspiring, self-motivated candidate to conduct the research for developing more efficient metallurgical separation & refining technologies for recovering materials from next generation electronics.

For this PhD position, we are expecting the candidate with the following qualifications:

• MSc in process metallurgy, chemical engineering, or a related area,
• fundamental knowledge in hydrometallurgy and electrochemistry,
• geenral expertise in electronic waste recycling, in particular, metallurgical separation and recovery,
• good communication skills in English, proficiency in report/paper writing and technical presentations,
• a good team player as part of the MPRR group, and willing to cooperate with partners from academia, R&D institute and industry within the project,
• working experience in recycling and metallurgical industry being as added avlue.

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2541 per month in the first year to €3247 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

Delft University of Technology

Delft 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 Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the 3mE faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in 3mE’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.