Postdoc Solvothermal Recycling of Cardiac Catheters

Shape the future of biomaterials from waste! 

Job description

We have a new Postdoc vacancy in our group on solvothermal recycling of cardiac catheters. This Postdoc position is part of the newly funded Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (LSH) project - EvalueWaste.

This project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium from industry and academia to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of the healthcare sector: single-use cardiac electro-surgical catheters. Every year, about 170,000 electro-surgical instruments and cardiac electro-surgical catheters are discarded, along with 70,000 kg of plastic handles. These single-use devices are often made of complex, highly engineered composite materials with various types of polymers and precious metals that are difficult to recycle. Thus, after used, cardiac catheters are usually incinerated, resulting in significant material losses and environmental impact

As a Postdoc within the EvalueWaste consortium at TU Delft, you will:

• Scale-up of a solvothermal process to recover metals and polymers from cardiac catheters for reuse.

• Publish high-quality scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to project reports in collaboration with the project supervisors and others.

• Participate in consortium meetings, workshops, and stakeholder events, and actively contribute to knowledge exchange and impact activities.

• Support the supervision of students where relevant and contribute to the academic life of the department.

This Postdoc position provides a unique opportunity to help redefine the circularity in the healthcare sector in collaboration with the leading industry and the unique GreenCycl initiative.

Job requirements

• You are strong in advanced chemical engineering research and enjoy hands-on experimental work. You are eager to grow your expertise and enjoy engaging with and supporting students. You need to have:
• A PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• Experience in experimental study of mechanical processing
• Hands on experince in practical engineering and process design
• A critical attitude towards results is expected, which translates into formulating new research questions.
• Ability to function both in a team and independently.
• Good communication skills. good in English, both spoken and written.

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. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 1 years. Temporary external finance.
• A job of 36-40 hours per week. 
• Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP. 
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year. 
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages. 
• Flexible working week. 
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget. 
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses. 
• Partially paid parental leave 
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program. 

Will you need to relocate to the Netherlands for this job? TU Delft is committed to make your move as smooth as possible! The HR unit, Coming to Delft Service, offers information on their website to help you prepare your relocation. In addition, Coming to Delft Service organises events to help you settle in the Netherlands, and expand your (social) network in Delft. A Dual Career Programme is available, to support your accompanying partner with their job search in the Netherlands.  . 

Additional information

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Dr.ir.Tim Horeman-Franse, t.horeman@tudelft.nl.

For more information about the research group of Dr.ir. Luis Cutz, please visit: www.luiscutz.com.

For more information about the department, please visit: https://www.tudelft.nl/me/over/afdelingen/process-energy   

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 1 October 2026 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• CV
• Motivational letter
• If the applicants are selected for an interview, they will be asked to provide contact details of at least two referees with their consent

You can address your application to Dr.ir.Tim Horeman-Franse.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• As part of knowledge security, TU Delft conducts a risk assessment during the recruitment of personnel. We do this, among other things, to prevent the unwanted transfer of sensitive knowledge and technology. The assessment is based on information provided by the candidates themselves, such as their motivation letter and CV, and takes place at the final stages of the selection process. When the outcome of the assessment is negative, the candidate will be informed. The processing of personal data in the context of the risk assessment is carried out on the legal basis of the GDPR: performing a public task in the public interest. You can find more information about this assessment on our website about knowledge security.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.