Nyrstar Budel is a zinc smelter located in south of the Netherlands, as part of a global mining and metal processing company. Zinc is produced using the roast, leach and electrolysis process. A unique biological waste water treatment plant is used to treat all waste water streams from the zinc production process. All metals are recycled to the zinc production process, no solid waste is produced and 300 m3/h clean effluent discharged.As a process technologist, I give daily support for the waste water treatment plant, roasting and sulfuric acid plant. I am responsible for technological project support, scoping, testing and commissioning. Continuous improvement and increasing process stability are key values for a company like Nyrstar that is operational 24/7.Furthermore, I was responsible for a big improvement project of the waste water treatment plant at Nyrstar Høyanger (Norway). The factory in Norway treats a by product of the Budel plant. Due to a change of the feed, gas and water treatment were adjusted to meet governmental regulations and to obtain stable process conditions.

Internship at Philips Minimally invasive healthcare (MIH). Project: Responsive nanomaterials for image-guided drug delivery.Preparation and characterization of three temperature-sensitive liposomes for image-guided drug delivery. The influence of Gd(HPDO3A)(H2O) on doxorubicin release kinetics was investigated and the influence of medium was on doxorubicin release. Characterization was performed with fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance. Furthermore, a literature study on novel responsive nanomaterials on drug-eluting beads for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization.

Synthesis and self-assembly of glucose-functionalized benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamides in water. My research focused on the preparation and characterization of benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxamide with peripheral glucose units to procure supramolecular polymers in water stabilized by threefold, helical hydrogen bonding. An aliphatic spacer between glucose and aromatic core provides hydrophobic shielding and prevents backfolding of the glucose moiety. Characterization was performed with UV-Vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy with Nile red, nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopy. The study resulted in a better understanding of the self-assembly of benzene tricarboxamides in aqueous solution.

Reversible folding in ureido-benzoic acid containing single-chain polymer nanoparticles. The aim of this research was to synthesize a supramolecular polynorbornene polymer decorated with ureido-benzoic acid functional groups. Two ureido-benzoic acid units can form quadruple hydrogen bonds in a basic solution. The single-chain nanoparticles unfold upon addition of acid and fold back induced by increasing the pH. Characterization was performed by dynamic light scattering, fluorescence spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance.