PhD Position Probing Hydrogen-Defect Interaction in Circular Steels via Atomistic Simulation

Join TU Delft and help design hydrogen-resistant steels for a sustainable energy future. As a PhD researcher, you will unravel the atomic-scale mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement in compositionally complex recycled steels, using density functional theory and machine-learned interatomic potentials, in close collaboration with leading academic partners and Tata Steel.

At TU Delft, you will contribute to a transformative research initiative focused on enabling the transition to a hydrogen-based energy system. This position is within the project "Circularity as Opportunity:
Engineering Hydrogen-Resistant Circular Steels (CIRHY)" which is a 6-year research and innovation project developing next-generation circular steels that can safely operate in hydrogen environments. By combining advanced experiments with multiscale modelling, CIRHY enables reliable, sustainable steels for future infrastructure and industry. The project was granted by the Dutch national funding agency NWO in 2025.

Understanding hydrogen-material interactions at the atomic scale remains one of the most complex and urgent challenges in the transition to a hydrogen-based energy system. Since the first discovery of the phenomenon in 1875, several hypotheses have been proposed about the mechanistic origin of hydrogen embrittlement (HE). Atomistic modelling can play a crucial role in verifying, characterizing and quantifying the HE mechanisms, since hydrogen is challenging to detect experimentally.

Machine learning potentials can overcome typical bottlenecks of empirical potentials for simulating dislocations, cracks and hydrogen diffusion near precipitates embedded in ferritic iron. While considerable progress has been made in simulating hydrogen behaviour in the presence of defects (e.g., grain boundaries) in iron, the effects of hydrogen in compositionally complex recycled steels remain poorly understood.

Within this position, you will investigate the atomistic mechanisms underlying hydrogen embrittlement (HE) in circular steels, with a particular focus on the role of tramp elements at experimentally informed microstructural features. You will combine first-principles modelling and machine-learning approaches to develop predictive simulations of hydrogen behaviour in compositionally complex Fe alloys. Working closely with Tata Steel and an interdisciplinary academic team, your research will contribute to the development of more hydrogen-embrittlement-resistant circular steels.

• Perform Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to model hydrogen-tramp element co-segregation at grain boundaries and phase boundaries
• Perform DFT to obtain atomistic insights into how tramp elements interact with dislocations and how hydrogen modifies these interactions
• Develop a DFT-accurate machine-learned interatomic potential (MLIP) for a multi-component Fe alloy system, enabling predictive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations capable of probing hydrogen diffusion and trapping at interfaces in the presence of tramp elements with near-DFT accuracy
• Collaborate closely with a broad team of researchers from the department MSE of TU Delft, University of Groningen, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente, KU Leuven, and MPI for Sustainable Materials, as well as with the project's industrial partner, Tata Steel.
• Contribute to scientific publications, conference presentations and the dissemination of research findings within the M2i framework

You will be part of Team Dey within the Computational Materials Science section at TU Delft. This team focuses on atomistic simulations to investigate materials for sustainable energy, with proven expertise in hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen storage and the behaviour of carbon-based materials such as graphene. Your project on the atomistic mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement in circular steels aligns perfectly with the team's broader interest in metal–impurity interactions, interfacial phenomena and its commitment to computation-guided design for a sustainable future.

You will collaborate closely with researchers from a broad consortium, including academic partners from the University of Groningen, Eindhoven University of Technology, University of Twente, KU Leuven and the MPI for Sustainable Materials, as well as the industrial partner Tata Steel. The project is embedded within the M2i framework.

The Computational Materials Science section offers a collaborative and…