PhD Position: Sustainable Additive Systems for Enhanced Rubber Durability
The performance and sustainability goals of the elastomer and tire industry demand innovative solutions for material stabilization. Conventional functional agents suffer from premature degradation or loss during manufacturing, which limits the lifespan and efficiency of the final rubber products.
This is a high-profile, industrial-academic collaboration between the University of Twente (UT) and two global industry leaders, Apollo Tyres and LANXESS. The project is dedicated to designing and implementing smart, protective delivery systems for critical additives. The aim is to shield these agents during high-shear processing and enable their controlled and targeted release to significantly boost the long-term durability and functionality of next-generation rubber composites.
The successful candidate will be jointly supervised by the ETE (Elastomer Technology and Engineering) group, focusing on rubber science, and the SPC (Sustainable Polymer Chemistry) group, specializing in materials design.
Job Description
This position requires a scientist capable of bridging advanced polymer design with industrial material application. The PhD candidate will be responsible for creating and validating a novel system that integrates smart carriers into complex rubber matrices.
Your main research activities will revolve around:
1. System Formulation and Design: Developing novel protective systems using sustainable precursor materials. This includes precise control over the carrier morphology and the mechanisms that dictate functional additive delivery.
2. Materials Integration: Applying knowledge of polymer chemistry and rubber compounding to effectively incorporate the new protective systems into various elastomer formulations. The researcher will test these materials under challenging industrial-relevant processing conditions.
3. Performance and Lifetime Analysis: Conducting comprehensive mechanical, chemical, and aging tests on the resulting rubber composites to quantitatively demonstrate the significant improvements in durability, functionality, and overall product lifetime enabled by the smart additive systems.
Information and application
Are you interested in contributing to the future of sustainable, high-performance rubber materials?
Please submit your application before 18th of January 2026 via the provided application button. Your application should be a single PDF document and include:
- A personal motivation letter, emphasizing your specific interest in this project and relevant expertise.
- A detailed CV.
- Academic transcripts of your BSc and MSc education.
- Contact details or letters for at least two academic references (supervisors/professors).
For more information or questions about the position, please contact Prof. Anke Blume or Prof. Frederik Wurm via the respective department pages at the University of Twente.
The interviews are planned in the first weeks of February 2026.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) engages in education and research of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. We enable society and industry to innovate and create value using efficient, solid and sustainable technology. We are part of a ‘people-first' university of technology, taking our place as an internationally leading center for smart production, processes and devices in five domains: Health Technology, Maintenance, Smart Regions, Smart Industry and Sustainable Resources. Our faculty is home to about 2,900 Bachelor's and Master's students, 550 employees and 150 PhD candidates. Our educational and research programmes are closely connected with UT research institutes Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Center and Digital Society Institute.
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