PhD Position Materials Also Need Sleep - Next Generation High-Performance and Sustainable Composites

PhD Position: Materials Also Need Sleep – Next Generation High-Performance and Sustainable Composites

Are you ready to embark on a groundbreaking journey into the future of sustainable and high-performance composite? Are you familiar with composite materials modelling manufacturing and characterisation?

Job description

🌱 Project Vision

Composites are truly the materials of the future. Their use is rising exponentially, continuing to replace or augment traditional materials. A key example is the construction of next-generation aircraft such as the Airbus A350.

Despite this progress, composites remain brittle and susceptible to fatigue—posing risks of sudden and catastrophic failure.

Can we make them more ductile and longer-lasting?

Inspired by nature’s concept of hibernation, this Vidi project aims to develop a new class of composites that can “sleep”, meaning part of the composite is not carrying load — introducing dormancy mechanisms to extend structural life and enhance resilience. This innovative approach also allows for hybridising cheap and expensive materials, reducing cost without compromising performance. We expect that the developed solutions will significantly enhance life-time, ductility, and circularity in composites. The project includes demonstrations for potential applications in critical areas such as wind turbine blades and off-shore composite joints, to provide improved ductility, fatigue performance and energy absorption.

We invite outstanding candidates to join our team as PhD1 (Multiscale Modelling & Dormancy Design) or PhD2 (Advanced Composite Manufacturing and Characterisation).

🧠 PhD1 – Multiscale Modelling and Dormant Design in Composites

You will focus on developing and validating novel dormant design concepts for composite materials. This includes:

• Designing fibre-reinforced architectures that provide dormant behaviour
• Performing multiscale finite element simulations
• Use AI and FEM to design optimal composite material architectures and properties
• In this project you will collaborate with Prof. Bert Sluys on multiscale mechanics and advanced machine learning solutions

A background in:

• computational mechanics, finite element modelling or
• composite or architected materials would be considered a significant plus

🏭 PhD2 – Advanced Manufacturing and Characterisation of Dormant Composites

You will work closely with your colleague (PhD1) translating the modelling concepts into manufacturable hybrid composites, combining thermoplastic and thermoset matrices, short and long fibres to manufacture and charaterise sustainable composites with high performance and longer service life.

The work involves addressing real-world processing challenges and leveraging TU Delft’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, including 3D printing and automated fibre placement. You will work closely with experts such as Prof. Clemens Dransfeld, Dr Kunal Masania.

A background in:

• composite manufacturing, polymer processing
• material design or experimental characterisation would be considered a significant plus

You will join the Material health monitoring research group and in collaboration with mechanical and aerospace faculties. The groups cover the micro-scale (materials) to the macro-scale (integrated structures) research activities, and are well equipped for hosting experimental and computational works, having state-of-the-art manufacturing and mechanical testing facilities, and an extensive range of high-performance computational facilities and required software. Ours is an open, friendly, and collaborative team in which you are encouraged to share your knowledge and ideas, and get all the support you need to develop in your career.

Job requirements

We are looking for ambitious PhD candidates with:

• An MSc degree in a relevant field such as Mechanical, Materials, Aerospace Engineering, etc.
• Knowledge and interest in composite materials design and characterisation, both modelling and experimental skill sets are desirable.
• The ability to work both in a project team and independently, taking leadership and responsibility for research tasks.
• Good communication skills in English, both written and oral.

Doing a PhD 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. A minimum IELTS score of 7 or equivalent is mandatory for international students. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

TU Delft (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 of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Conditions of employment

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 €2901 per month in the first year to €3707 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 a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Mohammad Fotouhi, via m.fotouhi-1@tudelft.nl.