Internship: Smart Plasticiser Design Tire Tread

Apollo Tyres Ltd is an international tyre manufacturer and the leading tyre brand in India. The company has multiple manufacturing units in India and a unit each in The Netherlands and Hungary. The company markets its products under its two global brands – Apollo and Vredestein, and its products are available in over 100 countries through a vast network of branded, exclusive and multi-product outlets.

Apollo Tires is a tire manufacturer of Indian origin. Apollo is an ambitious and growing company with factories in India and Europe, as well as sales offices around the world. About 160 employees work at Global R&D in Enschede to develop new (car) tires for Apollo and Vredestein.

The All-season/Winter tread compound development group of the PV Compound Development and Industrialization Team is responsible for the design, development and industrialization of advanced rubber compounds optimized for winter and all-season tread performance. The team’s primary focus is on delivering reliable traction, braking, and durability across a wide range of temperatures and road conditions, including dry, wet, snowy, and icy surfaces.

Tire tread compounds are complex formulations designed to deliver wear resistance, traction, rolling resistance, and low-temperature flexibility. Plasticisers such as process oils and resins facilitate mixing, improve flexibility, reduce compound viscosity, enhance low-temperature properties, etc. The type and level of plasticize rs must be optimised as too little results in a stiff compound and difficult processing, while too much leads to soft compounds, reduced wear resistance.

Optimising plasticizer content is essential for balancing performance, durability, and processability of tire tread compounds.

The primary objective of this internship is to study and optimise plasticizer levels (process oils and resins) in tire tread compounds for improved performance.

• Prepare tire tread formulations with varying plasticiser type and levels
• Assess processability and evaluate the rubber properties
• Identify optimal levels for balanced tread performance

• Conduct a literature review
• Prepare rubber compounds with different plasticizer loadings
• Characterise, analyse and summarise the project findings

• Bachelor's or equivalent degree in Chemistry, chemical engineering, polymer technology or material science
• Good command of English. Dutch is an advantage
• Basic computing skills, Microsoft office. MATLAB or Minitab would be beneficial
• Good communication skills & be able to adapt to the work environment quickly
• Knowledge of rubber compounds and a basic understanding of tyres is an advantage

• Exposure to industrial tyre development processes and materials research
• Practical experience in laboratory compounding, testing, and analysis
• A dynamic and innovative internship environment with own working space
• Internship allowance ranging from EUR
  600 to 850 per month, based on a full-time position

Start date:

01.06.2026 (Negotiable)

Internship nature:
Full-time

For further details contact:

Location:

Colosseum 2, 7521 PT Enschede