Stephen Picken

PhD opportunity at Delft University of Technology in the Department of Chemical Engineering, within the BIO-Skin consortium (Bio-Inspired Outer Surfaces to Kool, Insulate and Nurture), led by TU Delft. The project focuses on biobased polymer–nanoclay composites for sustainable building materials . The research aims to develop circular, biobased, and biophilic building components using waste-based, biodegradable polymer matrices produced by Calayda and Recell, then incorporating them into nanoclay structures to tailor performance for building applications. Key research activities include understanding the stability, composition, and properties of the biobased polymers and characterising them using analytical and spectroscopic techniques such as NMR , GPC/SEC , rheology , and thermal analysis . The work will support the design of sustainable composite materials with application-oriented properties. The position is a fully funded 4-year PhD under the supervision of Dr. Tessel Bouwens , Prof. Stephen Picken , and Prof. Rienk Eelkema . Most research will be carried out in the Department of Chemical Engineering at TU Delft, with collaboration across and beyond the university. The vacancy is open now. Applicants should submit their application via the provided Microsoft Forms link. For more information, contact Dr. Tessel Bouwens at [email protected] .

PhD Opportunity at Delft University of Technology in Biobased Polymer–Nanoclay Composites for Sustainable Building Materials . This fully funded 4-year PhD project is part of the BIO-Skin consortium (Bio-Inspired Outer Surfaces to Kool, Insulate and Nurture), led by TU Delft, and is hosted mainly in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands. The research focuses on developing circular, biobased, and biophilic building components using polymer–nanoclay composite materials. The polymer matrix will be derived from waste-based, biodegradable materials produced by Calayda and Recell . The PhD will investigate the stability, composition, and properties of these biobased polymers and their incorporation into nanoclay structures to create sustainable building materials with tailored performance. A major part of the project involves material characterisation using analytical and spectroscopic techniques, including NMR , GPC/SEC , rheology , and thermal analysis . The project is research-oriented and collaborative, with some work carried out with partners inside and outside the department and university. Supervision is by Dr. Tessel Bouwens , Prof. Stephen Picken , and Prof. Rienk Eelkema at TU Delft. Applicants should be interested in polymer science , materials science , chemical engineering , and related chemistry-based methods for sustainable construction materials. The position is fully funded and open now. Apply via the provided application link. For further information, contact [email protected] .