General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
SL-DES-24-0033
Thesis topic details
Category
Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences
Thesis topics
Eutectic solvents for leaching and separation of lanthanides and actinides
Contract
Thèse
Job description
The separation of chemical elements is at the heart of the mining, the recycling of nuclear and electronic waste and water decontamination. However, hydrometallurgical leaching and liquid-liquid extraction processes use considerable volumes of water and solvents, which are often polluting and volatile. Environmental issues therefore represent a key challenge for future hydrometallurgical processes.
Hydrophobic eutectic solvents have recently been considered for metal extraction. They offer many advantages, such as lower volatility, higher flash point and improved extraction performance, combined with different extraction mechanisms compared with conventional diluents.
The aim of this thesis will therefore be to prepare and test hydrophobic eutectic solvents (HES) based on extractant molecules known in the laboratory, and to study their liquid-liquid extraction and leaching properties with respect to different metals, with particular interest in the extraction of uranium from mines. Extraction mechanisms in these unconventional solvents will be addressed, with close observation of complexation and structuration effects, in order to optimize performance. The extraction properties of uranium and various metals will be evaluated by ICP-OES and compared with the physico-chemical and structural properties of the systems (density and viscosity measurements, acid-base and Karl Fisher titration, NMR and IR spectroscopies, tensiometry, small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS, SANS)...).
Requested skills: chemistry, analytical chemistry, physical chemistry, and knowledge of hydrometallurgy.
The applicant will gain experience in separative chemistry, management of scientific projects and will be eligible for engineering and/or research positions in the fields of chemistry and hydrometallurgy.
University / doctoral school
Sciences Chimiques Balard (EDSCB)
Montpellier
Thesis topic location
Site
Marcoule
Requester
Position start date
01/10/2024
Person to be contacted by the applicant
ARRACHART Guilhem guilhem.arrachart@cea.fr
Université Montpellier
ICSM
Institut de Chimie Séparative de Marcoule, ICSM/LTSM
Bat 426
30207 Bagnols sur Cèze
04 66 79 15 68
Tutor / Responsible thesis director
DOURDAIN Sandrine sandrine.dourdain@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/ICSM//ICSM
ICSM, Bat 426, Laboratoire de tri ionique par des Systèmes Moléculaires auto-assemblés
04 66 33 93 09
En savoir plus
https://www.icsm.fr/ltsm.html
https://www.icsm.fr/