진학프로석·박사 채용 접수 플랫폼

We are searching for a Postdoctoral Fellowship to lead the REVERSAM project on a manufacturing of a new generation of reversible polymer networks, a joint project between two research groups at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Brubotics and SUME.

• • Brubotics (https://www.brubotics.eu/), is the robotics research group, and has for the last 10 years a research line on additive manufacturing, in particular in exploring multi-functional and sustainable polymers for additive manufacturing in robotics.
• • SUME (https://www.vubtechtransfer.be/sustainable-materials-technology), is the sustainable materials engineering research group, and focuses on the advanced and sustainable materials, including a 15 years research program on self-healing and recyclable reversible polymer networks.

Together, Brubotics and SUME have been at the forefront of the research and development of self-healing reversible polymer networks (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQ4t5GcS0_g). With REVERSAM, we will explore deeper how the unique properties of reversible polymer networks can be exploited for advanced manufacturing, while bringing their unique advantages, such as recyclability and self-healing to a wide range of applications. Despite many dynamic covalent chemistries and well-established synthesis methods, the broader market potential of reversible polymer networks remains untapped due to poorly understood processability and underdeveloped processing techniques.

This project aims to enhance the processability of reversible polymer networks for conventional thermoplastic methods, including extrusion, injection moulding, and 3D printing, by adjusting their chemical structure and composition through structure–processing–property correlation analysis and model-based optimization of processing parameters. Leveraging these methods, we will demonstrate the potential of reversible polymers in a future circular economy by evaluating their performance across multiple self-healing and recycling cycles.

REVERSAM is a collaborative project between VUB (Brubotics and SUME) and Ghent University. It is a strategic basic research project, meaning that while the research is fundamentally driven, it is deliberately oriented toward addressing current challenges in industry and society. Therefore, the project combines academic excellence with active engagement with industrial stakeholders to ensure relevance, applicability, and impact beyond academia.