Postdoc: Biobased, Thermally Debondable CFRP Adhesives

1000scholars; Delft; Remote; EUR 48,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

TU Delft invites a self-motivated postdoctoral researcher to develop biobased adhesives for a circular composites economy. You will investigate interfacial bonding, mechanical performance and durability of adhesive–CFRP joints to enable sustainable repair and recycling.

Your work combines experiments with computational insights, connecting molecular-level mechanisms to macroscopic joint behavior. You will collaborate with Avans University of Applied Sciences and Team Dey to advance thermally

Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a closely related discipline.
• Strong expertise in experimental materials characterization, especially joint strength testing and chemical surface analysis; experience in composite manufacturing and thermoplastics is an advantage.
• Proven research track record with publications and conference participation.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform experiments to investigate adhesive–composite interfacial interactions, calculate adhesion energies, and characterise interfacial structure and wetting behaviour for different biobased adhesives.
• Investigate the mechanical performance to evaluate bond strength and identify failure modes of the adhesive–CFRP composite interface.
• Assess the joints behaviour and strength under thermal and mechanical loads to establish and guide the optimisation of the adhesive formulations.
• Establish the degradation mechanisms caused by the combined influence of temperature, moisture and UV-radiation.
• Collaborate closely with computational researchers and project partners to connect experimental observations with atomistic insights and support the development of durable and thermally debondable adhesives.
• Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations and future research proposals in sustainable composite joining, repair and recycling.

Skills

Independent researcher

Team player

Excellent English

Education

PhD in Materials Science and Engineering

PhD in Physics or Chemistry

Tools

Density Functional Theory

Molecular Dynamics

Machine-learning interatomic potentials

Job description

TU Delft invites a self-motivated postdoctoral researcher to develop biobased adhesives for a circular composites economy. You will investigate interfacial bonding, mechanical performance and durability of adhesive–CFRP joints to enable sustainable repair and recycling.

Your work combines experiments with computational insights, connecting molecular-level mechanisms to macroscopic joint behavior. You will collaborate with Avans University of Applied Sciences and Team Dey to advance thermally