PhD positions excellence & sustainability programme section Mechanics of Mater

11 PhD positions in the Excellence & Sustainability Programme of the Section Mechanics of Materials of TU/e

Are you an engineering scientist who wishes to contribute to high‑tech applications, state‑of‑the‑art modelling or experimentation of advanced sustainable materials across the scales? We are looking for outstanding and enthusiastic PhD candidates, with a proven track record of excellence, to work on a challenging PhD project in an exciting multidisciplinary team.

Section Mechanics of Materials

The Section of Mechanics of Materials (MoM) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) launched a PhD Excellence Programme for sustainable materials in 2026 to recruit 11 outstanding PhD students. The MoM section is recognised worldwide for its high‑level research on experimental analysis, theoretical understanding and predictive modelling of complex thermo‑mechanical behaviour (e.g., plasticity, damage, fracture) in engineering materials at different length scales, emerging 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.

The PhD projects are embedded in four larger programmes:

• Green Steels
  :
  The Dutch steel sector faces a major transition. The production, processing, use and recovery of steel is to be made significantly more sustainable by 2030 and completely CO2 neutral by 2050. The programme "Growing with Green Steel" is a plan to achieve this, involving major changes throughout the steel value chain. The MoM section contributes to this plan by studying how the microstructure and resulting properties of green steels are affected by new steel processing routes.
• Physics‑Based Design of Hydrogen‑Resistant Steels
  :
  Hydrogen can penetrate steel and make it brittle, leading to sudden failure. This challenge is especially pronounced for sustainable ("green") steel grades, which exhibit complex microstructural variability. This programme develops physics‑based models linking micro‑mechanisms to macroscopic behaviour, informed by experimental characterisation and validation, to build digital twin frameworks that enable virtual assessment and optimisation of steel microstructures before production.
• Thermal Interfaces at Cryogenic Conditions
  :
  Many advanced technologies such as quantum computers, powerful microscopes and chip‑making tools require extreme cooling. The optimal design of cooling systems at cryogenic conditions is hampered by a lack of predictive thermal conductance models at these temperatures. This programme focuses on multiscale models that improve understanding of how microstructural changes in materials and evolving constrained contact conditions at cryogenic temperatures affect thermal and mechanical properties, and uses that knowledge to build smarter, quieter and more energy‑efficient cooling systems.
• Wafer Handling
  :
  Silicon wafers are the base material for modern electronic devices. Ensuring optimal reliability of lithographic processes relies on surface quality of the wafers and an absolutely immaculate production environment. This programme investigates the influence of mechanical interaction on silicon wafers through advanced scratch experiments under high‑resolution observation, providing mechanistic understanding at the microscopic scale.

All PhD projects involve collaborations with industry. The industry partners and main supervisors are listed for each project below:

• PhD 1:
  Rolling contact fatigue in green bearing steels – numerical microstructural modelling [SKF;
  Ron Peerlings]
• PhD 2:
  Predictive analysis of edge crack sensitivity of green steels [Tata Steel;
  Marc Geers]
• PhD 3:
  From structure to properties in green metastable stainless steels [Philips, Alleima;
  Marc Geers]
• PhD 4:
  Solute‑dependent bcc crystal plasticity in hydrogen‑resistant circular steels [Tata Steel;
  Ron Peerlings]
• PhD 5:
  Grain‑boundary plasticity and damage in hydrogen‑resistant circular steels [Tata Steel;
  Ron Peerlings]
• PhD 6:
  Pipeline…