Are you an engineer who wants to contribute to sustainability, reducing carbon emissions, and materials recycling? We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic PhD candidate to work on a challenging micro-mechanical modelling project, in an exciting multidisciplinary team.
The transition to low-carbon steelmaking will significantly alter production chains, starting from raw materials to high-end products made from these steels. One of the paths to reduce CO2 emissions in steelmaking is the use of scrap. This will inevitably entail significant variations in the chemical composition of the steel produced, which may affect the performance of the steels during processing and service. This is particularly true for stainless steels undergoing phase transformations in view of the targeted mechanical properties.
These phase transformations occur during the metal forming processes in which they are shaped to a product. These need to be well controlled to safeguard the formability of the material during processing on the one hand and securing the resulting strength and hardness properties on the other hand. This makes this class of materials particularly vulnerable to the use of recycled material, with possibly uncontrolled or variable content. Accordingly, this research project aims to establish predictive insights between microstructures contaminated with tramp elements and the resulting engineering properties as required for product processing.
Vacancy for a modelling-oriented PhD student on the Constitutive behaviour of recycled metastable stainless steel
This project will focus on a model-based approach, taking experimental input from the partners involved, to assess the influence of scrap-induced changes and contaminations on the performance of stainless steels that are subjected to phase transformations in the production chain. This approach will enable a qualitative and semi-quantitative assessment of the influence of the presence of various elements (and second-phase particles) on stainless steel properties. This step is essential for the introduction of green steels in the market segment exploiting such steels.
This work will consist of the following tasks:
Section Mechanics of Materials
You will work in the section of Mechanics of Materials (MoM) (www.tue.nl/mechmat) at the department of Mechanical Engineering of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The MoM section is recognized worldwide for its high-level research on experimental analysis, theoretical understanding and predictive modelling of complex mechanical behavior in engineering materials at different length scales (e.g, plasticity, damage, fracture), which emerges from the physics and mechanics of the underlying multi-phase microstructure. An integrated numerical-experimental approach is generally adopted for this goal. A state-of-the-art computing infrastructure is in place for the numerical work in this project.
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:
Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.
Curious to hear more about what it’s like as a PhD candidate at TU/e? Please watch the video.
Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more about the scientific content of the PhD project? Please feel free to contact us: Prof. Marc Geers (m.g.d.geers@tue.nl), Dr. Ron Peerlings (r.h.j.peerlings@tue.nl).
Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HR Services (HRServices.Gemini@tue.nl).
Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.
We invite you to submit a complete application by using the apply button. The application should include a:
We look forward to your application. Closing date is September 1st, 2025, but we will screen applications as we receive them. Promising candidates may expect an online interview, possibly followed by an invitation to visit us in Eindhoven.
Type of employment | Temporary position |
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Contract type | Full time |
Salary | Scale P |
Salary |
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Number of positions | 1 |
Full-time equivalent | 1.0 FTE |
City | Eindhoven |
County | Noord-Brabant |
Country | Netherlands |
Reference number | 2025/343 |
Published | 15.Jul.2025 |
Last application date | 01.Sep.2025 |