Postdoc Solvothermal Recycling of Cardiac Catheters at TU Delft

Shape the future of biomaterials from waste!

Job description

We have a new Postdoc vacancy in our group on solvothermal recycling of cardiac catheters. This Postdoc position is part of the newly funded Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (LSH) project - EvalueWaste.

This project brings together a multidisciplinary consortium from industry and academia to tackle one of the most pressing challenges of the healthcare sector: single-use cardiac electro-surgical catheters. Every year, about 170,000 electro-surgical instruments and cardiac electro-surgical catheters are discarded, along with 70,000 kg of plastic handles. These single-use devices are often made of complex, highly engineered composite materials with various types of polymers and precious metals that are difficult to recycle. Thus, after used, cardiac catheters are usually incinerated, resulting in significant material losses and environmental impact

As a Postdoc within the EvalueWaste consortium at TU Delft, you will:

• Scale-up of a solvothermal process to recover metals and polymers from cardiac catheters for reuse.

• Publish high-quality scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and contribute to project reports in collaboration with the project supervisors and others.

• Participate in consortium meetings, workshops, and stakeholder events, and actively contribute to knowledge exchange and impact activities.

• Support the supervision of students where relevant and contribute to the academic life of the department.

This Postdoc position provides a unique opportunity to help redefine the circularity in the healthcare sector in collaboration with the leading industry and the unique GreenCycl initiative.

Job requirements

• You are strong in advanced chemical engineering research and enjoy hands-on experimental work. You are eager to grow your expertise and enjoy engaging with and supporting students. You need to have:

• A PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field.

• Experience in experimental study of mechanical processing

• Hands on experince in practical engineering and process design

• A critical attitude towards results is expected, which translates into formulating new research questions.

• Ability to function both in a team and independently.

• Good communication skills. good in English, both spoken and written.

You can view the full job vacancy here. 

Application deadline: 1 October 2026