Professor of Transition Process Metallurgy

Research Chair at Heriot-Watt University in the Materials and Circularity Research Group Heriot-Watt University

Applications are invited for the post of Professor/Associate Professor to establish and lead a new area of work in process metallurgy to support recycling of metals and minerals as part of a growing multidisciplinary team at the University.

Background and context

It is no exaggeration to state that the mining extraction and use of metals and mineral elements such as rare earths has been the cornerstone of development of civilisation. Recent demands to seek alternative energy pathways to fossil fuels and to the drive towards reduction in CO₂ emissions towards creating a net-zero society has highlighted the juxtaposition of needing to provide metals and mineral elements to support electrification and the massive carbon burden associated with the supply chain ¹². Radical innovation and changes practice within society is needed if a paradigm shift is to be achieved.

The criticality of continuity of supply to a nations future economy has resulted in a range of understandable but often perverse behaviours in government and corporations who rightly are concerned about the opportunity to access supply and the cost of these commodities. The United Kingdom like many nations has established observatories for the state of play and future of critical metals minerals and materials³⁴and these are largely passive in tone. The Royal Academy of Engineering⁵ and the UK government⁶ have published some framing foresight on this and the EPSRC research council have supported some doctoral studies consortia⁷.

The Research Chair will address the technical crux of the issue to address solutions to enable sustainable use of metals both in primary production and processing and in the reprocessing of metals containing products/waste needing design for re manufacturing. This forms an important part of the future so called Circular Economy for a region nation and for our globe. Whilst there is high academic interest in many aspects of a circular economy there are a paucity of success stories since human behaviour organisational structures government incentives and successfulbusiness models need to come together in enduring lockstep.

Heriot-Watt University has through its Global Institute for Net Zero and Beyond (iNetZ) created a multidisciplinary platform for developing mission led practical solutions to advance circularity bringing together academic and partners thus far covering:

• Plastics and Chemicals (Professor David Bucknall)
• Building Materials (Professor Gabi Medero)
• Green and Transition Finance (Professor Havard Halland Professor Bing Xu).

This has formed a coherent Materials & Circularity Research Group (M&CRG) led by Professor Gabriela Medero. The new professor will build on this strategic initiative working as part of an ambitious transdisciplinary team to address what we regard as being a very major societal need around metals.

There is a very significant gap in technological capability in driving transitions in metals refining and recycling. The main reasons for the deficit include:

-Dwindling and now acute shortage of metallurgical science and engineering capability globally - this has shrunk the active pool of competent researchers in this area of material science and the productive volume of research is declining.

-Alternative technologies require large scale investment and complex development to regulatory schemes - the timeline track to proving them can be extensive and few organisations have the appetite to drive this.

-Insufficient understanding of the true constraints and on the rate of metals reprocessing including rigour is assessment of the whole system energy - this results in the wrong solutions and pathways being developed.

-Isolated successes in greenling metallurgical pathways do not always consider the whole pathway and integrated systems generating side consequences of the whole life cycle - this can distort the reality of benefits (perhaps the production of batteries is an example of this!).

-Complexity - to get traction in this area the work has to be multidisciplinary in terms of subjects and also work with partners with a focus on agreed key areas.

New work developments and leadership together with global connectivity with industry and business is needed to address this situation which might be described in modern parlance as being a wicked-problem.

The research chair has been made possible due to a donation from the Universitys Shaping Futures Campaign. The post and area of development will be supported by a small advisory board and may include occasional contact with the donor. The post holder will also be able to contribute to the learning and teaching across the University and including their host school and department likely to be The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Department of Chemical Engineering.

Research and Knowledge Exchange Focus for Chair in Transition Process Metallurgy

The post holder will determine the strategy of their work reporting to an advisory group. It is likely to encompass the following scope:

To approach the topic wholly from the perspective of a circular economy to assure the lifetime utilisation and an efficient end-of-life plan of metals being core to the considerations.

To focus on understanding and promoting the transformation of processing and reprocessing (recycling) of key metals and mineral composite components for the electric economy from rhetorical perspective of through research publications and policy outputs.

To work in partnership with national governments funding bodies global bodies metal associations market providers and corporations.

To foster the development of larger research team through winning of grants and industrial support to enable the capabilities to be expanded and sustainable working in the wider context of the M&CRG and the iNetZ global research institute platform.

The candidate will be expected to develop the opportunities for leverage of additional funds from UK and global grant sources and industry to grow their research team yielding support of order 750k annually.

For example areas of possible focus in startup include:

for (a) net-zero copper primary production(global) (b) acceleration of copper recycling rate in UK and (c) acceleration of lithium recycling and other relevant materials in UK.Desk modelling and dialogue.

experimental work on recycling of Rare Earths pertaining to electromagnets working in partnership with wind farms sector and other relevant stakeholders.Establish experiments; facilities at University or at partner site).

out the needs for design centre (and major grant) for Remanufactured Products that will exemplify the practical reality of being able to design for recycling (bearing in mind the full life cycle environmental cost and considering potential close loop approaches) based on a small number of real products.Multi-partner major proposal submitted

formal collaborations with the respective Copper and Lithium Mining Associations.

Teaching and Learning Activities

The postholder will contribute to the teaching learning and scholarship activities in chemical engineering. The discipline of chemical engineering at Heriot-Watt University has a longstanding interest in sustainability at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The role holder will enhance these activities by developing supporting and delivering learning materials and assessment with potential links to areas such as metal recycling resource management and process/product design. They will also contribute to the development and support of chemical and process engineering design projects and dissertations in particular in areas such as quantifiable sustainability life cycle analysis and resource management. These activities will be based at our Edinburgh campus but the developments will align with our global outlook including with international learning partners and for continuing professional development activities.

The successful applicant will play a key role in developing a new MSc portfolio in the areas of Process Design for Recycling and Resource Management or similar and linked to ongoing institutional strategies focussing on portfolio developments across sustainability and the circular economy.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

Heriot-Watt University

Education Qualifications and Experience (i.e. Person Specification)

Essential criteria:

Candidates for this role will have a first degree in process metallurgy process/chemical engineering chemical metallurgy or materials science/engineering relating to the mining and recycling sector with relevant PhD degree in this domain.

Proven expertise research supervision and research track record outputs in their domain resulting in academic and industrial publications patents policy etc.

Experience of industrial partnership and management of collaborative projects.

Energetic enthusiasm and honed communication skills for communication.

Passion for both research and teaching of process metallurgy and the circular economy.

A strong personal network with the profession.

Excellent digital skills in terms of Microsoft 365 tools AI-enablement specialist simulation tools relevant to the subject area.

Ability to plan strategically to develop and build a research team with external partners and funders.

The post is full time based in Edinburgh and will require residency in this vicinity.

Desirable criteria

Specialist understating of rare earth recycling from electromagnets and lithium batteries.

Deep understanding of the principles of metals ecology as well as policy and regulations relating to the circular economy.

Fellow or Membership of IMM and/or IChemE or equivalent.

Industrial experience in the sector.

Line Management

This is a permanent position subject to the normal conditions of appointment and probation. The appointee will be responsible to the Executive Dean of the School in which they are appointed and for programme development to Advisory Panel for the Chair chaired by Prof Medero.

Additional Information

The Materials & Circularity Research Group (M&CRG)

The transdisciplinarygroup from Heriot Watt Universityhas unique high-level of complementary research capabilities bridging unique discipline boundaries (engineering materials science chemistry health and wellbeing urban planning social science business finance AI mathematics and computer science) and fostering collaboration and integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines. The Materials & Circularity Research Group (M&CRG) is part of the Universitys planned investment of over 40M including resources from the Shaping Futures Campaign (in 5 years: 50 new academic staff 20 new support staff) for the iNetZ. This will facilitate the advance of research and industry collaboration as well as support the synergistic collaborations of M&CRG. This collaborative approach aims to innovate and develop solutions that promote circular economy resource efficiency reduce waste and enhance the lifecycle and the end-of-life of group brings together leading academics covering the areas of green finance circularity in chemicals processes circular approaches in building materials and re-use management of plastic materials that will clearly have direct synergies for collaboration with the academic hired in this role.

References

1. Volt Rush Henry Sanderson 2022 One World Pubs.
2. The War Below Ernest Scheyder 2024 Simon & SchusterISBN13:
4. send a Covering Letter outlining why you feel you are suitable for this opportunity addressing the criteria if not already covered in your CV submission (maximum 2 pages for Covering Letter and up to date CV). Closing Date 18th August for Applications.

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