Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology
6 days ago
PhD Research Project: Beyond the Boundaries of Phosphate Desorption Wetsus - European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology in Netherlands
Degree Level
PhD
Field of study
Chemistry
Funding
Available
Deadline
Oct 16, 2026
Country
Netherlands
University
Wetsus, European Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Water Technology
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About this position
Wetsus, the European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology, is offering a PhD project titled Beyond the boundaries of phosphate desorption. The project explores the surface chemistry behind phosphate-iron (hydr)oxide sorption, with a strong focus on regeneration mechanisms, desorption kinetics, and regenerant consumption in wastewater treatment applications.
Research conducted at Wetsus has shown that continuous adsorption with iron (hydr)oxide-based adsorbents can remove phosphate from wastewater treatment plant effluents to ultra-low concentrations. However, the regeneration step remains a key challenge. The project aims to understand why concentrated alkaline regenerants are consumed by competing processes at the adsorbent-solution interface and within the material structure, and how these processes affect reuse of the adsorbent.
The research is highly interdisciplinary, bridging material science, physical chemistry, chemical engineering, and environmental science. You will investigate the fundamental mechanisms governing phosphate adsorption and desorption on iron (hydr)oxides, design innovative experiments, and develop effective nanostructured adsorbents. The work will use advanced analytical and characterization techniques, including IC, ICP-OES, TOC, Mössbauer spectroscopy, SEM-EDX, TEM, FTIR, and XRD.
The project is embedded in the Wetsus framework and benefits from the expertise of industrial partners in the Phosphate Recovery Theme. This makes the position especially attractive for candidates interested in resource recovery, advanced water treatment technologies, and translating fundamental surface chemistry into practical process engineering insights.
Applicants should have a master degree or equivalent in material science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field. Strong English proficiency is required, and candidates should be able to connect theoretical understanding of surface chemistry with concrete engineering concepts. Applications must be complete, submitted in English, and uploaded via the application webpage before the deadline.
Deadline: 16 October 2026, 15:00 (Europe/Amsterdam). Start date: 1 March 2027. Location: Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Applicants should hold a master degree or equivalent in material science, chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field. An excellent level of English is required. The project expects the ability to bridge theoretical surface chemistry with practical process engineering concepts, and experience or strong interest in advanced analytical and materials characterization techniques would be advantageous.
How to apply
Apply through the project webpage before the deadline. Applications must be complete and submitted in English via the application webpage. Follow the applicant guidelines provided by Wetsus before submitting.
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