Sponsorship for 3 Thai PhD students to work on NR-related research projects
The Dutch Rubber Foundation (Rubber-Stichting) sponsors 3 Thai PhD students for a period of 4 years each, under a joint program between the Department of Rubber Technology and Polymer Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University (PSU), Thailand, and the Department of Elastomer Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente (UT), the Netherlands. The students will work and study both in Thailand and the Netherlands. The projects started in 2009 (two students) respectively 2010 (1 student).
The program aims to promote the use of renewable and sustainable natural rubber as well as international academic cooperation between the two universities. One student is working on a project entitled “Implications of PNA-free aromatic/naphthenic extender oils in NR-based tire treads”, the other two are engaged for the project “Silica reinforced natural rubber: compatibilization through chemical functionalities grafted onto natural rubber”. The projects are supervised by Prof. Jacques W. M. Noordermeer (UT) and Asst.Prof.Dr. Kannika Sahakaro (PSU).
Link to the website of the Rubber Stichting
http://www.rubber-stichting.info/index.html