PhD in Mechanical Engineering (Materials Science)

This PhD opening targets motivated and curious students that are passionate about the multidisciplinary field of materials science. The goal is to develop new materials and processing techniques that will widen the applications of ceramics in a variety of engineering solutions.

We are looking for creative minds that are eager to understand the why's and the how's behind the research they conduct, to learn and apply new techniques and approaches towards developing new engineering materials, interested in spanning from fundamentals to applications, and enthusiastic about team-work in an international and interdisciplinary group.

JobDescription

The development of new materials is key to enable engineering applications. Materials science and engineering is an ever-expanding multidisciplinary field that pushes forward the frontiers of virtually any technology field, by finding clever and innovative solutions for materials with enhanced structural and functional properties.

Ceramics and ceramic-based materials are a particularly fertile research area. They feature a multiplicity of unique properties, thanks to which they can find applications in the energy, chemistry, automotive, aerospace and biomedical sectors, to mention a few. Yet, both their manufacturing and their mechanical behavior require further enhancements.

You will be in charge of tackling this challenge. You will develop both new ceramic-based materials and innovative processing routines to shape them. Macroscale properties will be fostered via tailored hierarchical material design, encompassing multiple scales and reaching down to fine-tuning at the nanoscale. You will work with cutting-edge technologies, such as additive manufacturing and ultra-fast sintering techniques, in a largely experimental project, but always driven by theoretical considerations and empowered by modeling approaches.

You will be embedded in the Mechanics of Materials, https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-groups/mechanics-of-materials/ , section of Mechanical Engineering, where you will have access to the state -of-the-art facilities of the Multiscale Lab (https://www.tue.nl/en/research/research-labs/multiscale-lab/ ), and to exciting collaborations on material modeling with a variety of approaches - and beyond.

You will be part of an international and interdisciplinary team. You explore and create new material concepts, while having chances to foster collaborations, mentor junior students, take part in workshops, conferences and research visits, and get in touch with the vibrant industry and tech area surrounding TU/e.