Postdoc Mechanical Behavior of Biobased Adhesives for Fibre-reinforced Polymers

Job description 

Develop biobased adhesives that combine reliable bonding with on-demand debonding. As a postdoctoral researcher at TU Delft, you will investigate the interfacial behaviour, mechanical performance and durability of composite joints to advance sustainable repair and recycling strategies.

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CRFP) composites are essential in many high-performance applications, but repairing, disassembling and recycling these materials remains challenging. Conventional epoxy-based adhesives can make these processes difficult, contributing to material waste and limiting circularity. At TU Delft, you will contribute to a research project developing renewable, biobased thermoplastic adhesives that can be debonded on demand using heat. The goal is to enable more sustainable joining and repair strategies while maintaining the mechanical performance and durability required during service.

Your research will focus on understanding how the adhesive–composite interface influences adhesion, joint strength and long-term performance. Through advanced experimental investigations, you will study how interfacial structure and bonding behaviour respond to thermal and mechanical loading. You will also investigate the durability of composite joints under weathering and creep conditions, estimate their service lifetime and identify the mechanisms responsible for degradation.

Your experimental findings will contribute to the development and optimisation of durable, thermally debondable adhesives. You will work closely with another researcher in the project who uses computational methods to investigate the underlying molecular-level mechanisms. By connecting experimental observations with computational insights, you will help establish the scientific understanding needed to design adhesives that combine reliable performance with controlled debonding.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will:

1. Perform experiments to investigate adhesive–composite interfacial interactions, calculate adhesion energies, and characterise interfacial structure and wetting behaviour for different biobased adhesives.
2. Investigate the mechanical performance to evaluate the bond strength and identify failure modes of the adhesive–CFRP composite interface.
3. Assess the joints behavior and strength under thermal and mechanical loads to establish and guiding the optimization of the adhesive formulations.
4. Establish the degradation mechanisms caused by the combined influence of temperature, moisture and UV-radiation.
5. 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.
6. Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations and future research proposals in sustainable composite joining, repair and recycling.

You will be part of Team Amarante Böttger at TU Delft, whose research includes the experimental characterisation of materials, interfaces and their properties. Strong collaboration with her team at Avans University of Applied Science is envisioned. Your project on biobased, thermally debondable adhesives for carbon fibre-reinforced polymer composites will build on the expertise in thermoplastics and interfaces to uncover the mechanisms governing adhesion, interfacial stability and mechanical performance. By combining experimental research with atomistic simulations, you will contribute to the rational design of sustainable adhesive systems that enable easier repair, joining and recycling of composite materials.

You will collaborate closely with Team Dey within the Computational Materials Science section at TU Delft providing advanced atomistic simulations with expertise in density functional theory molecular dynamics and machine-learning interatomic potentials.

Job requirements 

We are looking for a selfmotivated researcher to uncover the mechanisms governing adhesive composite interfaces and advance characterisation approaches for the development of sustainable, thermally debondable adhesives. You are independent but also a good team player and are willing to cooperate closely with other researchers and our industry partners.

Furthermore, you meet the following requirements:

• You hold a PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a closely related discipline.
• You have strong expertise in experimental materials characterisation techniques, particularly joint strength testing and chemical surface analysis. Experience in composite manufacturing and knowledge on thermoplastics and degradation mechanisms is an advantage. You are eager to apply this knowledge to understand the adhesion mechanism, and behavior of biobased adhesive–composite systems.
• You have a strong track record in scientific research, as evident from publications in peer-reviewed international journals and conference participation.
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) 

Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference. 

For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future. 

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward. 

Faculty Mechanical Engineering 

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems. 

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation. 

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