Description
The PhD project aims to establish tools to predict and control property specifications of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) co-polymer blends and to monitor trace contaminants so final products meet regulated thresholds.
Job requirements
- Master's degree in chemical engineering, polymer science, or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated experience with practical testing in materials science and polymer melt processing.
- Experience in data analysis, modeling and polymer quality characterization techniques.
- Affinity for analytical method development and enthusiasm for hands-on experimental work.
- Curiosity and understanding of structure–property relationships in polymer science, separation techniques in chemical engineering, and the use of 'green' organic solvents.
- Strong self-drive and initiative to explore topics beyond current expertise, and comfort working in multidisciplinary, international, collaborative settings.
- Written and oral proficiency in English.
Tasks
- Establish tools to predict and control property specifications of PHBV co-polymer blends, addressing expected batch-to-batch variability and regulatory impurity limits.
- Formulate and tune co-polymer blends, including post-manipulation approaches applied during recovery.
- Perform polymer melt processing and solution formulation, including extrusion work.
- Conduct mechanical and property testing, such as rheology, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
- Develop and apply analytical methods for impurity tracking and quality control, including pyrolysis GC-MS, FTIR, HPLC, LC-MS and GC-MS.
- Carry out hands-on PHA recovery research at laboratory and pilot scales.
- Perform mass-balance assessments related to feedstocks, biological processes and recovery methods to identify and mitigate NIAS risks.
- Contribute to project activities and collaborate with international partners.
Description of the organisation
The research theme Biopolymers from Water develops and innovates methods to produce and recover biopolymers, particularly polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), using wastewater and organic residual streams as feedstocks. PHAs serve as a renewable platform for bioplastics within circular economy systems: they are biobased, biodegradable, recyclable and renewable when produced under controlled microbial processes and effective recovery. Entry of waste-derived PHAs into supply chains requires controlled property specifications and sufficiently low levels of regulated non-intended added substances (NIAS). The supervisory team includes a university supervisor from the University of Groningen (prof. Katja Loos) and supervisors dr. Alan Werker and dr. Raquel Barbosa.