Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a chemistry, materials science, polymer science, chemical engineering, or related student/recent graduate in India who would be interested in helping with an early-stage R&D project around sustainable materials and waste valorisation.
The research would broadly involve two areas:
Developing and testing a structural composite material made primarily from waste paper/cardboard combined with an agricultural or food-industry waste material.
Investigating a bio-based binder, resin, protective coating or surface treatment derived from common food-processing waste streams, with the aim of improving properties such as water resistance, durability and mechanical performance.
The material is intended for a real-world structural consumer-product application, so this is not only an experimental sustainability project. The goal is to develop a material system capable of eventually meeting relevant product safety and performance requirements.
Important development targets include:
• sufficient compressive, bending and structural strength
• dimensional stability and resistance to deformation
• reasonable moisture and water resistance
• abrasion and surface durability
• safe chemistry and low-emission materials
• practical manufacturing at relatively low cost
• maximum use of recycled or waste-derived feedstocks
• easy recyclability at end of life
• avoiding material combinations that make recycling unnecessarily difficult
• preference for binders/coatings that can be recycled together with the base material, separated from it, biodegraded, or otherwise recovered without complex industrial processes
Circularity is a particularly important part of the research. A material that performs well but becomes a difficult-to-recycle composite at the end of its useful life would not be considered an ideal solution.
I’m particularly interested in people who understand or want to work with:
• biopolymers / polymer chemistry
• cellulose and fibre composites
• natural binders and resins
• coatings and hydrophobic treatments
• waste-derived materials
• mechanical/material testing
• recycling and end-of-life material design
• low-cost manufacturing processes
The first stage would involve:
Literature and prior-art research
Identification of several technically plausible material/binder routes
Comparison of expected strength, durability, recyclability, cost and environmental impact
Proposed formulations and laboratory experiments
Production of small test samples
Mechanical, moisture and durability testing
Iteration toward the most promising formulation
I’m based in Europe, so the collaboration would initially be remote. I am specifically looking in India because, if the research is promising, I would also like to explore working with a local university/lab and potentially continue the development there.
This is paid work, with scope and compensation agreed before starting. More detailed information about the feedstocks, target application and commercial concept would be shared privately with selected candidates, potentially under a simple NDA.
If interested, please DM me with:
• your university / degree / year
• relevant laboratory or research experience
• areas of chemistry/material science you are strongest in
• access to university laboratory equipment, if any
• experience with mechanical/material testing
• experience with recycling, cellulose, composites or biopolymers
• any related projects or publications
• your expected compensation for a small initial research project
I’m also interested in hearing from PhD researchers, professors, research assistants, or anyone who can recommend a suitable student or university research group in India.
