PhD research project: Flagship sustainable by design circular composite bioplastics Wetsus in Netherlands

Wetsus, the European centre of excellence for sustainable water technology, is offering a funded PhD project on flagship sustainable by design circular composite bioplastics. The position is part of the newly funded EU project SOWISE+ and sits within the Biopolymers from Water research theme. The project focuses on developing methods to produce, recover, and upgrade polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) into high-value biobased composite materials for circular economy applications.

The research addresses a major challenge in sustainable materials: how to transform recovered PHA into commercial-quality bioplastics with controlled property specifications, low impurity levels, and improved performance. The work combines polymer science, chemical engineering, and materials testing to establish tools for predicting and controlling the properties of cellulose composites made with co-polymer blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). A key objective is to link variability in recovered polymer streams to final material performance and to support safe-and-sustainable-by-design product development.

The PhD researcher will work on formulation of co-polymer blends and cellulose composites, masterbatch property specification, melt processing, and product prototyping. Experimental work includes solution formulation, extrusion, mechanical testing, rheology, TGA, DSC, pyrolysis GC–MS, FTIR, HPLC, LC–MS, and GC–MS. The project also includes hands-on PHA recovery at laboratory and pilot scale, along with monitoring of trace contaminants and non-intended added substances (NIAS) to ensure compliance with regulated thresholds.

Excellent facilities and expertise are available through Wetsus and its knowledge centre environment. The project is interdisciplinary and collaborative, involving local Dutch and international partners, and connects to industrial flagship activities producing cellulose from recycled absorbent hygiene products and PHA from a sister industrial-scale facility. The work is intended to advance sustainable composite bioplastics toward real-world circular economy implementation.

Applicants should hold a master’s degree in chemical engineering, polymer science, or a closely related field. Relevant experience in materials testing, polymer melt processing, data analysis, modelling, and polymer quality characterisation is expected. Interest in analytical method development, hands-on experimental research, and multidisciplinary collaboration is strongly valued. Strong English communication skills are required.

The position is full-time and temporary, with a start date of 1 March 2027. The application deadline is 16 October 2026 at 15:00 (Europe/Amsterdam). Applications must be complete, in English, and submitted via the project application webpage before the deadline.

Supervisory team: Dr. Alan Werker and Dr. Carlos Contreras Davila at Wetsus, together with Prof. Katja Loos at the University of Groningen.