Overview
Eurecat Metallic and Ceramic Materials Unit develops solutions for obtaining advanced light materials and functional surfaces which can withstand demanding mechanical and environmental requirements. Materials Metàl·lics i Ceràmics - Eurecat Centre Tecnològic Catalunya. Eurecat Metallic and Ceramic Materials Unit in collaboration with Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University) has opened a position for a PhD candidate to develop a thesis in the field of Materials Science and Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies.
Additively manufactured components often use thin‑walled structures to reduce weight, but their fracture toughness varies with thickness until plain‑strain conditions are reached—typically only at larger thicknesses. As a result, thin‑walled geometries produced by additive manufacturing operate in a regime where fracture toughness is highly thickness‑dependent.
Fracture toughness is a strong indicator of crashworthiness, unlike tensile properties, but it is difficult to measure using traditional fracture‑mechanics methods, especially for parts made by additive manufacturing due to their complex geometries, size limitations, and heterogeneous microstructures. This internship will study how thickness and microstructure affect fracture toughness and crash resistance in materials produced by additive manufacturing. The work includes developing new experimental methods tailored to thin‑walled specimens with different thicknesses and applying the results to improve topology‑optimized designs in additive manufacturing.
Responsibilities
- Activities in the metallurgy laboratory, including metallography, sample preparation and analysis, tensile testing, and fracture mechanics testing.
- Conducting experiments and preparing result reports.
- Contribution to journal publications and ongoing research initiatives in fracture mechanics and AM design optimization.
We offer
- Full-time contract
- Duration: 3 years
- 27 days of paid holiday leave
- Adaptable schedule
- Reduced work hours on Fridays and during the summer
- Access to a wellness platform
- Annual gross compensation and coverage of university PhD enrollment fees
- Flexible benefits package
- PhD training program
Requirements
- Studies and Knowledge :
- Master’s degree (MSc) in Materials Science, Metallurgy, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field.
- Background in mechanical behavior of materials, fracture mechanics, or microstructural characterization is an advantage.
Languages
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
- Knowledge of Catalan and/or Spanish is considered an asset
Notes
Deadline: before April 30th, 2026.
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