PhD Candidate in Metallurgical Processes for Battery Recycling

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

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About the position

This PhD position is a collaborative effort between the Department of Material Science and Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Norway, and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology (CTH), Sweden. This collaboration is part of the Nordic Five Tech (N5T) alliance, which brings together the leading technical universities in the Nordic region. Both departments have strategic initiatives in sustainable metallurgy and applying material science and chemical engineering to extract and recycle valuable elements from secondary resources, including EV batteries.

The selected candidate will join the Resources, Energy & Environment (IMA-REM) research group at NTNU and work alongside co-supervisors from the Nuclear Chemistry/Industrial Materials Recycling research group at CTH.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

The battery value chain represents a remarkable opportunity for sustainable value creation, particularly from a European perspective. This opportunity is based on the comparative advantage of the Scandinavian countries and their competence-driven materials sector, which is powered by renewable energy sources. The sustainability of this value chain depends on the ability to reuse and recycle batteries, as well as their compounds. However, research on factors influencing customer acceptance of repurposed batteries is limited. Developing a robust recycling process capable of accommodating diverse battery types, designs, chemistries, and other variables is therefore essential. In view of this, computational thermodynamics can be a valuable tool to enhance the design of the process, reduce experimental trials, and increase the yield of the recycling process. Furthermore, it is also crucial for achieving a competitive disruption in the battery market. Currently, there is no techno-economically efficient lithium (Li) recycling process, and graphite from Lithium Ion Battery (LIB) anodes is not recycled. Developing innovative separation processes is expected to positively impact the circular economy and enable Sustainable Business Model (SBM) innovation. 

The current project's goal is to contribute to the establishment of new knowledge and principles for recycling spent LIBs by developing innovative processes to recover Li and other essential metals. The focus is on developing process steps with lower energy demand and reduced chemical consumption of reagents compared to the current state of the art. The process steps should also be flexible enough to accommodate changing cathode chemistries.

Duties of the position

The PhD Candidate will be responsible for conducting a theoretical/modelling and practical study of the separation, pre-treatment, extraction, and recovery processes for Li from spent LIBs. This will include Material Flow Analyses (MFA) and Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) from a value chain perspective. The candidate will also work with computational thermodynamics using commercial software to support the experimental work. The scheduled activities for this position include:

• Documenting the state-of-the-art of current and new recycling processes for spent LIBs.
• Developing process steps for separating and pre-treatment of spent LIBs on a laboratory scale.
• Developing process steps for Li extraction/recovery from anodes and cathodes in spent LIBs on a laboratory scale.
• Compiling a holistic understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of pyrochemical and hydrochemical recycling routes.
• Perform thermodynamic simulation and modelling activities to support the experimental design, enhance the discovery of reaction mechanisms, underline the governed fundamental phenomena involved in the chemical processing, and identify potential limitations in the Li extraction processing. 
• Proposing a plan for further development and industrialisation of the proposed value chain for recycling spent LIBs.

The candidate is expected to spend time at both universities and provide mentorship and co-supervision to MSc. and BSc. students. Additionally, flexibility in attending conferences, meetings, and workshops is required.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a professionally relevant background in materials science and engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field such as chemistry, process technology, or process engineering.
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at the master's level.
• You must have a solid academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• Master's students can apply, but they must obtain and document their master's degree before starting the position. 
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's doctoral program https://www.ntnu.edu/nv/phd
• You must have good written and oral English language skills.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions and Regulations for the degrees philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) and philosophiae doctor (ph.d.) in artistic development work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Solid experimental background in unit operations and/or pyro- and hydrometallurgy.
• Experience in different characterisation techniques relevant to metal quantification.
• Good understanding of the thermodynamic principles of high temperature and aqueous processes.
• Solid background in data and/or statistical analysis.
• Willingness to design and build equipment and scientific instruments.

Personal characteristics

• Positive, creative, result-oriented, and enthusiastic.
• Thrives on new challenges in the workplace.
• Keen interest in working in interdisciplinary teams.
• Clear and effective communication skills, both orally and in writing.

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

Evaluate and remove/add what is relevant for the position.

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,- per annum. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The period of employment is 3 years with the possibility of 1 additional year of teaching duties upon agreement.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Materials Science and Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phmt) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme through out the period of employment.

The position is conditional on external funding.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to bein conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English. (decide on this - remove if not applicable)

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• CV, certificates and diplomas. 
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted. 
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position. 
• Name and address of three referees. 
• If you have publications or other relevant research work. 

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Prof. Ragnhild Elizabeth Aune by emailing ragnhild.aune@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR consultant Marie Kristiansen, email:  marie.kristiansen@ntnu.no 

Application deadline: 07.12.2025

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For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the tech capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality. 

Gothenburg is the major port city of Sweden, as well as the home of one of the two major technical universities in Sweden (of which one is CTH). The city is known for its friendly atmosphere and closeness to all essential facilities and hosts about 500,000 inhabitants. If the surrounding municipalities with which the city is directly connected are counted, the number of inhabitants is approximately 1,000,000. Due to its location with about equal distance to Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, it is a centrally located city.