Critical Mineral Resources Extraction Postdoctoral Researcher

About the role

The National Security Earth Science Group (EES-17) within the Earth and Environmental Sciences Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher to advance innovative technologies for the extraction and separation of critical elements.

Responsibilities

• Development and optimization of hydrothermal separation processes for critical minerals.
• Thermodynamic modeling and experimental validation of mineral-fluid interactions.
• Hydrothermal synthesis and reaction pathway optimization.
• Advanced structural and spectroscopic characterization using LANL's and other DOE user facilities.
• Integration of electrochemical deposition methods to recover high-purity critical mineral products.
• Collaboration on process scale-up and evaluation of industrial implementation strategies.

Requirements

• Minimum Job Requirements: Candidates with experience in the following areas are encouraged to apply:
• Conducting hands-on laboratory experiments involving chemical synthesis, mineral processing, and/or materials characterization.
• Acquiring thermodynamic data using calorimetry or related techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research while contributing effectively to collaborative, multidisciplinary projects.
• Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Qualifications

• Desired Qualifications: Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable:
• Critical mineral extraction and separation
• Thermodynamic modeling of aqueous or hydrothermal systems
• Material/mineral synthesis using hydrothermal and other methods
• Advanced material characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman spectroscopy, SEM and TEM
• Experience in conducting experiments at DOE user facilities especially with synchrotron-based methods including X-ray total scattering / pair distribution function (PDF) analysis and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES and Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure, EXAFS)
• Molecular dynamics or atomistic simulations
• Electrochemical materials synthesis or electrodeposition
• Tecnico-economic analysis (TEA) or process systems modeling

Skills

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Geochemistry, Materials Science, Environmental Science, Geological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related STEM discipline.

Benefits

No specific benefits are mentioned in the job posting.

Pay

No specific pay details are provided in the job posting.

Schedule

No specific schedule details are provided in the job posting.