Description of the workplace

The Department of Process and Life Science Engineering (PLE) covers a wide range of industrially relevant research, including e.g. plant-based meat analogues, carbon capture and formulation and purification of biopharmaceuticals. The Membrane group (https://www.membranegroup.lu.se/) at PLE is the most established Membrane Group in Sweden and has with MemLab – the Industrial membrane process research and development centre – an excellent infrastructure to develop and optimize membrane processes from lab to pilot scale. 

The project is part of COMPEL.

COMPEL, "COMPetence for the ELectrification of the transport system", is a strategic initiative by the Swedish government, aimed at strengthening research and educational environments within battery technology and electrification. Within COMPEL, the three institutions - Chalmers University of Technology, Lund University, and Uppsala University – in consultation with Swedish industry, deepen their collaboration with the aim of strengthening Sweden's position in battery technology contributing to the electrification of the transport sector, and related areas. The three institutions aim to enhance research and education in the battery sector to ensure strong research in battery technology supporting that electrification of the transport sector is maintained and further developed in Sweden. Research within COMPEL spans the entire battery value chain: materials research, research on new cell concepts and cell manufacturing, battery systems and system integration, recycling, and safety.

At Lund University with the Faculty of Engineering (LTH), COMPEL is a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing research environments in battery technology and electrification, in a manner that complements relevant research at other institutions and builds on our strengths. COMPEL at Lund University initially includes researchers from ten departments, and three areas of research have been identified for strategic development: materials research, integration of batteries with power electronics, and safe energy storage. On the educational side, the number of students in several of the Master programs is being increased, and the course offerings related to battery technology and electrification are being strengthened.

Subject description

Membrane processes play a critical role in battery recycling by enabling selective separation and purification of valuable metals and reducing waste. Nanofiltration (NF) effectively removes divalent ions, facilitating lithium recovery from leachates. Electrodialysis (ED) aids in ion separation and concentration, reducing impurities in recovered electrolytes. Ultrafiltration (UF) can pre-treat solutions by removing particulates before further processing. Membrane distillation (MD) and reverse osmosis (RO) concentrate valuable metal solutions, improving extraction efficiency. Forward osmosis (FO) offers energy-efficient water recovery, minimizing process waste. These membrane technologies contribute to sustainable, closed-loop battery recycling with lower environmental impact and improved resource efficiency. The focus of the doctoral thesis will be on exploring different membrane processes, either as standalone or integrated systems, for recovering valuable compounds from black mass generated during battery recycling.

Work duties

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties will also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 10%). 

Detailed description of the work duties:

• Review of available scientific literature on the research topic and presentation in a report/article.
• Operation, validation and modelling of a lab/pilot scale different membrane processes for battery processes.
• Analysis of raw materials and recovered components.
• Techno-economical evaluation of the overall process and benchmarking with the state-of-the-art.
• Communication of obtained results in the form of publication of scientific articles.

Admission requirements 

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant: 

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, or Food Engineering if the applicant has: 

• a specialized project of at least 30 second-cycle credits in the subject.
• A specific degree eg. Master of Engineering, Master of Science or equivalent degree with relevance for the subject.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written ability in English, as large parts of the research work will be carried out in English.
• Experience in practical laboratory work.

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following: 

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

• Experience with separation processes, i.e. membrane processes. 
• Experience in building/assembling and operating lab/pilot-scale equipment.
• Knowledge of modelling and programming skills in e.g. Python C/C++, MATLAB and/or LabView. 
• Basic knowledge in electronics.
• 3D CAD (such as Autodesk Fusion 360, OpenSCAD or similar).
• Experience in project management

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive, and independence, and how the applicant, through experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

We offer

Lund University is a public authority which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme.
Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee Work at Lund University. https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/work-lund-university  For international candidates, you can read more about living and working in Sweden on this website https://sweden.se/

Terms of employment

Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 4.5 years (including 10% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

How to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

Welcome to apply!