PhD Position within Sustainable Repurposing and/or Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs)

Updated: over 2 years ago
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 07 Jan 2022

This is NTNU

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 42,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

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


About the position

The Department of Chemical Engineering has a vacancy for a PhD student within the field of hydrometallurgy with special focus on the development of solvents for selective lithium recovery. The earliest start date for the position will be April 2021.

The appointment has a duration of 3 years with the possibility of a further 1 year extension with 25% teaching duties in agreement with the department.

NTNU is now announcing 43 individual PhD positions that will contribute to a greater understanding of system effects, societal changes and conflicts of interest related to the sustainability challenges. These positions are divided into 9 interdisciplinary projects with mainly 4-7 PhD positions in each project. (https://www.ntnu.no/sustainability/calls )

In this position, the candidate is expected to cooperate with the other PhD students in the project HolE-LIB – Developing a Holistic Ecosystem for Sustainable Repurposing and/or Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) in Norway and EU

HolE-LIB – Developing a Holistic Ecosystem for Sustainable Repurposing and/or Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries (LIBs) in Norway and EU.

About the position

Department of Chemical Engineering at NTNU has strategic efforts within sustainable hydrometallurgy and application of chemical engineering to extract and recycle valuable elements from secondary sources including electric vehicle (EV) batteries. The department is a part of the Gemini Centre – HYPROS (Hydrochemical Processing Technology in the Circular Economy) which is a model for strategic interaction between parallel professions at NTNU, SINTEF and the University of Oslo. 

The current position will be part of the Environmental Engineering and Reactor Technology (EEART) group in the department. 


Duties of the position

The research work will involve:

  • Literature Review for solvent classes (organic, ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents) for selective Li recovery at low pH.
  • Experimental evaluation of selectivity and extraction performance of selected solvents  using state-of-the art infrastructure at Department of Chemical Engineering.
  • Experimental characterization of solvent and feasibility study of the process.
  • Evaluation of solvent performance connecting that to solvent properties and functional groups
  • Preliminary evaluation of the suitability of the developed solvents in the metal recycling applications including possibilities to recycle the solvent.  
  • Statistical analysis of datasets.
  • The candidate is expected to participate actively in the team activities, including mentoring and co-supervision of students. 
  • Travelling with respect to conferences, meetings, workshops may be expected as part of the position.

Required selection criteria

The PhD-position's main objective is to qualify for work in research positions. The qualification requirement for the PhD position is that you have completed a master’s degree or second degree (equivalent to 120 credits) with a strong academic background in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or equivalent education within related fields such as process technology, or materials science and engineering with a grade of B or better in terms of NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you are unable to meet these criteria you may be considered only if you can document that you are particularly suitable for education leading to a PhD degree.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants  and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  


Essential Qualifications
  • Strong background in chemistry. 
  • Experience in experimental work related to solvent characterization or development, chemical synthesis or hydrometallurgy.
  • Experience in various analytical methods and interested in learning more. 
  • Good written and oral English language skills

Personal characteristics
  • Positive, creative, result oriented and enthusiastic.
  • Seeks new challenges at work.
  • Has keen interest working in interdisciplinary teams.
  • Communicates information and results with clarity and ease, both orally and in writing.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal suitability.


We offer
Salary and conditions

PhD candidates are remunerated in code 1017, and are normally remunerated at gross from NOK 491 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years with the possibility of up to 1 year extension with 25% teaching duties in agreement with the department.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

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The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding (ta stilling til om stillinger skal være betinget av ekstern finansiering).

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.


About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above. 

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 have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. 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. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

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

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.


General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background. 

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The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation 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.

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As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

In accordance with The Public Information Act (Offentleglova), your name, age, position and municipality may be made public even if you have requested not to have your name entered on the list of applicants.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Hanna Knuutila, telephone +47 7359 4119, email [email protected]  and Associate Professor Sulalit Bandyopadhyay, telephone +47 4507 1041, email [email protected] you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Nina Sandberg (Department of Chemical Engineering), telephone +47 9246 4640, e-mail: [email protected] .

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI) .

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. 

Application deadline: 07.01.2022


NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Chemical Engineering 

We take chemistry from laboratory scale to industrial production. This demands a wide range of knowledge, from molecular processes and nanotechnology to building and operation of large processing plants. We educate graduates for some of Norway's most important industries. The Department of Chemical Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.  



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