PhD Student in Mineral Processing

Publiceringsdatum: 2025-12-03

Positionen som doktorand hos Luleå Tekniska Universitet är öppen och väntar på en lämplig kandidat - kan det vara du? Intresserade sökes för heltid-jobb hos Luleå Tekniska Universitet - är du intresserad? De letar efter någon som vill jobba 6 månader eller längre. För detta jobb är det en fördel om du bor i närheten av Luleå då det är tjänsteorten.

Luleå Tekniska Universitet behöver fler anställda som stödjer arbetet inom doktorand. Kolla in deras lediga tjänst för att se om du har vad som krävs. Här är chansen att bli en del av Luleå Tekniska Universitet och jobba som doktorand! Ansök senast söndag den elfte januari 2026.

Jobbannons

Luleå University of Technology is in strong growth with world-leading competence in several research areas. We shape the future through innovative education and ground-breaking research results, and based on the Arctic region, we create global social benefit. Our scientific and artistic research and education are conducted in close collaboration with international, national and regional companies, public actors and leading universities. Luleå University of Technology has a total turnover of nearly SEK 2,1 billion per year. We currently have 1,900 employees and 18,700 students.

In the coming years, multi-billion investments will be made in large projects in Northern Sweden to create a fossil-free society both nationally and globally. Luleå University of Technology is involved in several of these cutting-edge research projects and in the societal transformation that they entail. We offer a broad range of courses and study programmes to match the skills in demand. We hope that you will help us to build the sustainable companies and societies of the future.In line with the green transition and the striving for a sustainable supply of critical raw materials, our research in mineral processing consists of three pillars: material characterization (mineralogical and particle analyses), unit operations (such as comminution and separation processes) as well as system engineering approaches (modeling and simulation, geometallurgy). Experimental work (with processing of ore and mineral) is carried out in our well-equipped mineral processing laboratory with access to the very latest analytical instruments and a large range of process equipment. Within undergraduate education, we contribute to engineering programmes such as Sustainable Process and Chemical Engineering, Georesources Engineering and Arctic Mineral Resources.

Subject description

Mineral Processing deals with unit operations and processes for the preparation of solid, particulate matter, primarily ore minerals, industrial minerals and solid fuels but also waste, recycling materials, and products from the process industry.

Project description

We are looking for a PhD student in mineral processing. As a PhD student, you will be part of an established research group that operates in a dynamic, international research environment to work on a new research project, the beneficiation of graphite ores.

Graphite is a critical raw material for the green transition and serves as the dominant anode material in many types of rechargeable batteries. Northern Sweden hosts several significant graphite deposits that together will form the foundation of Europe’s emerging graphite value chain.

The project aims to develop and optimize separation and purification strategies for graphite ores of varying quality and mineral associations. The research will focus on beneficiation process design, including gravity separation, flotation using biodegradable reagents and nano-bubbles, as well as selective leaching to remove impurities. At a later stage, the project will explore purification methods for the sustainable upgrading of graphite concentrates to battery-grade products. Special attention will be given to understanding how mineralogical and textural characteristics of graphite ores influence process performance and separation efficiency.

Duties

This PhD student position involves both theoretical and experimental work. As a researcher, you work as a neutral party in many contexts, which provides a fantastic opportunity to learn how to run challenging development projects, while collaborating with colleagues in related projects and with industrial partners. You will learn to write scientific articles and present your work at national and international conferences. Furthermore, you will study both compulsory and optional doctoral courses and be part of the department's researcher school.

The project involves the following tasks:

• Laboratory-scale testing of beneficiation processes, including froth flotation, and purification methods.
• Characterization of feed and product materials using mineralogical and microanalytical techniques (e.g. Raman spectroscopy, SEM, XRD).
• Investigation and evaluation of how mineralogical and textural parameters affect separation and purification efficiency.
• Scientific writing, data analysis, and dissemination of results in journals and conferences as well as reporting within the project.

Qualifications

To be eligible, you must have a master's degree (120 ECTS) in mineral processing, natural resource engineering or equivalent. You are expected to have a solid education in mineral processing (theoretical knowledge and experimental experience of various beneficiation methods) and mineralogical characterization. You must have good knowledge of English, both spoken and written.

For further information about the researcher education within the subject Mineral Processing see

General syllabus Mineral Processing.pdf

Further information

Employment as a PhD student is limited to 4 years, teaching and other department duties may be added with max 20%. Placement: Luleå. Starting date: As agreed but as soon as possible.

For further information about the position, please contact:

Professor Saeed Chelgani, (+46)920-49 1494, saeed.chelgani@ltu.se

Professor Jan Rosenkranz, (+46)920-49 2183, jan.rosenkranz@ltu.se

Associate Professor Mehdi Parian, (+46)920-49 2556, mehdi.parian@ltu.se

Union representatives:

SACO-S Diana Chroneer,(+46 )920-49 2037 diana.chroneer@ltu.se

OFR-S Marika Vesterberg, (+46) 920-49 1721 marika.vesterberg@ltu.se

In case of different interpretations of the English and Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Application

We prefer that you apply for this position by clicking on the apply button below. The application should include a CV, personal letter and copies of verified diplomas from high school and universities. Mark your application with the reference number below. Your application, including diplomas, must be written in English or Swedish.

Closing date for applications: 2026-01-11

Reference number: 6067-2025