Key information
- Duration: Full-time (48 months); Part-time (72 months)
- Start dates & application deadlines: Starting September 2027. Application deadline not specified.
Overview
Bio-based polymer composites are increasingly used in engineering and consumer applications due to their sustainability potential. However, wider application is limited by insufficiently predictable performance under environmental exposure. Degradation processes such as moisture- and temperature-driven ageing, UV-induced changes, and end-of-life biodegradation conditions can lead to time-dependent loss of mechanical performance. Predictive models linking exposure regimes to mechanical property evolution remain insufficient, particularly for additively manufactured materials whose microstructure and anisotropy depend strongly on processing conditions.
This Degradation Modelling and Mechanical Performance of Bio-Based Composites (Materials Engineering) doctoral research at VILNIUS TECH will develop an experimentally validated modelling framework for predicting and, where needed, controlling degradation-driven changes in mechanical performance of bio-based composite systems, with a focus on PLA-based formulations. Additive manufacturing (primarily FDM/FFF) will be used as the main fabrication route to produce specimens with controlled geometry and processing parameters, while material formulations will be systematically modified using selected additives and modifiers.
What you'll learn
The work will integrate environmental ageing experiments, mechanical characterization, and analytical and numerical modelling to establish quantitative relationships between exposure conditions, material formulation, manufacturing parameters, and resulting changes in stiffness, strength, and energy absorption capacity. The main idea is that the service life of bio-based composites can be predicted, and in part controlled, by describing how environmental ageing changes their mechanical properties over time. The scientific novelty of the project is the development of a predictive model that links degradation processes to measurable mechanical performance in additively manufactured materials, and its validation under different exposure scenarios, including both long-term ageing conditions and end-of-life/composting environments.
Visit the programme website for more information
Programme Structure
Curriculum includes
- Independent research under supervision;
- Courses for PhD students (approximately 30 ECTS credits);
- Participation in research networks, including placements at other, primarily foreign, research institutions;
- Teaching or another form of knowledge dissemination, which is related to the PhD topic when possible;
- The completion of a PhD thesis.
Admission Requirements
Academic requirements
We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.
English requirements
TOEFL iBT: 70 OR IELTS: 6
Other requirements
- Postgraduate diploma (or higher)
- The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English.
- You must take verified copies of the entry qualification documents along with you when you finally go to the university.
- At least 2 reference(s) must be provided.
- Certified copies of the Master's degree diploma and its supplement with grades or higher education equivalent to it;
- Curriculum Vitae (CV);
- List of scientific publications and their copies or research proposal (if scientific publications are not included);
- Copy of a personal data page of a passport or a copy of a personal ID;
- Other documents that an applicant wants to submit.
- FCE (First Certificate in English): A
- CAE (Certificate in Advanced English): C
- CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English): C
- B2 Certificate in English
Make sure you meet all requirements
Fees and Funding
Tuition Fees
International tuition fees: 20,415 AUD / year (approx. 12,680 EUR / year)
Part-time studies: 8,453 EUR per year
Living costs
Vilnius, Lithuania: 789-1,378 AUD / month. The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.
Funding
The PhD studies can be financed by the companies or enterprises financial resources or a PhD student's personal finances.