PHD Position Developing Magnetic Nanomaterials

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PhD Position Developing Magnetic Nanomaterials in the Project "Welding Made Easy" (Delft, NL, 2628 CD) Delft University of Technology (TU Delft)

Posted on Sep 8, 2026

Do you want to work on cutting-edge nanotechnology research? Are you interested in designing magnetic nanoparticles that switch off their own heating for smart composite welding?

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate with a background in physical chemistry, materials science, or nanomagnetism to join the project "Welding Made Easy," funded through the NWO-KIC programme.

Welding Made Easy addresses one of the key bottlenecks in lightweight composite manufacturing: how to join fibre-reinforced polymer structures reliably, without the weight penalty of bolts and rivets or the strict process control demanded by adhesive bonding. The project shifts control of the welding process from complex machinery to the material itself, by embedding magnetic nanoparticles with a tailored Curie (or compensation) temperature into a thermoplastic interlayer. When exposed to a high-frequency magnetic field, these particles heat the interface until the target processing temperature is reached - at which point their magnetic losses collapse, acting as a built-in thermal switch that prevents overheating. The same particles double as sensors, enabling real-time monitoring of the weld through their AC field absorption. This self-regulating approach removes the need for dedicated welding infrastructure, opening the door to decentralised manufacturing and ad-hoc repair of composite structures for aerospace, mobility, and defence applications.

As a PhD candidate, you will work in the NCFun group of Prof. Arjan Houtepen (TU Delft, Applied Sciences), in close collaboration prof. Clemens Dransfeld (TU Delft, Aerospace Engineering) with Dr. Reinoud Lavrijsen (TU/e), Prof. Sofia Kantorovich/Dr Andrei Kuznetsov (TU Vienna), and...