Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) programme Energy & Process Technology at the University of Twente

The Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) programme Energy & Process Technology offers you a 2-year position combining post MSc education and a design project to be carried out in close cooperation with SunCoal Industries GmbH.

The educational programme, carried out at the University of Twente, will have an in-depth and broadening character with ample attention for professional development and will be partly tailored to the design project. In collaboration with SunCoal Industries GmbH you will work on high level, creative new designs for complex issues.

The project – Development of a flat spectrum filter for 3D printed custom-made hearing protection

The focus of the project is the design of a sustainable elastomeric material, more specific a ‘green’ composite material: elastomers with a reinforcing filler made from biomass. This ‘green’ filler will replace conventional fillers such as carbon black and silica in tires as well as technical rubber goods.

Processing of these ‘green’ fillers as well as the final properties of the composite pose a problem: the untreated bio-filler is difficult to disperse in the elastomeric matrix, and the reinforcing strength is low compared to conventional fillers. To overcome this, the filler has to be modified for better compatibility with the elastomers. Tailoring the interface between filler and elastomer and its characterization is the first part of the design project. In the second part, the modified filler will be blended with elastomers in order to design a material which can be used in several types of elastomeric products. Crucial steps in this part are processing as well as compounding: both have to be adjusted for the ‘green’ filler material.

The project comprises the following steps:
State-of-the-art overview of modification processes for this kind of materials, and the desired properties for application in tire.
Chemical and physical modification of the filler.
Study of the filler-coupling agent and filler-elastomer interaction.
Analysis of the filler-elastomer interaction and interface.
Processing study to well disperse the fillers in an elastomeric matrix.
Compounding study for the fillers for use in different elastomeric products.
Analysis of the elastomer-filler composites in terms of mechanical and dynamic properties.
Preparing a design guide for elastomers reinforced with these bio-fillers.
The main part of the work will be done in the laboratories of ETE, in close cooperation with the company SunCoal Industries GmbH, the producer of the bio-fillers.

Deadline Application: 15-12-2017

Further details:
Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) programme Energy & Process Technology at the University of Twente