Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are known as ‘forever chemicals’ that are difficult to degrade, persist in the environment, and are linked to health effects, including cancer. Many of these substances are still being used in industrial processes and released into the environment in high concentrations through wastewater and/or air emissions. In the Netherlands, PFAS have been found in food and drinking water exceeding the concentration limits set by the European Food and Safety Authority, posing serious health risks. In this proposal, the researchers will use a novel method based on foam algae to remove PFAS from water streams.

Green hydrogen produced from water splitting using renewable electricity will play an important role in the energy transition. Currently, green hydrogen is far more expensive than grey hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. The high cost is related to the high energy requirement for splitting relatively stable water molecules. Here, we hypothesize that chaotropic agents, which are molecules that destabilize the hydrogen bond network of water, can potentially improve the water splitting efficiency and lower the cost of green hydrogen. In this proposal, the researchers will investigate the effect of hydrogen-bond disruption on water splitting efficiency.

Stratified flows are ubiquitous in nature and engineering systems ranging from the Earths atmosphere to heat exchangers, significantly influencing how pollutants are transported and how heat is mixed. This proposal offers a novel method to study these flows using fluids at supercritical pressure where strong property variations occur just withing small changes in temperature. By combining analysis, numerics, and advanced optical measurement techniques, we aim to gain a better understanding of the complex phenomena of strongly stratified flows to enhance our predictive capabilities where conventional methods fail.

Mechanics with a twist --- If you twist a rubber cylinder, it gets longer. But a cylinder made from cartilage gets shorter, instead. Where does this difference come from, and what functions can it serve? Researchers from TU Delft will determine how the structure of a material controls this strange effect.