Postdoctoral Research Associate - Ames National Laboratory

Position Title:

Postdoctoral Research Associate - Ames National Laboratory Appointment Type:

Post Doc/Trainee

Job Description:

Summary of

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Critical Materials Innovation Hub (CMI), with Iowa State University at the Ames National Laboratory, a Department of Energy National Laboratory affiliated with Iowa State University, is searching for a qualified Postdoctoral Research Associate to conduct experimental research in rare earth metallization, critical materials synthesis, materials processing, characterization, extraction, and recycling.

The successful candidate will work with Principal Investigators, CMI scientists, and project collaborators on projects related to critical materials synthesis and processing. The primary focus of this position will be hands-on experimental development of metallothermic routes for producing rare earth metals from rare earth compounds, including oxides, chlorides, and fluorides. This work builds on the “Ames Process” for rare earth metallization and seeks to develop lower-temperature metallothermic approaches that improve yield, purity, metal–slag separation, scalability, and overall process efficiency.

The postdoctoral researcher will prepare and process rare-earth-containing reaction mixtures, including mixing and pre-processing reactants, handling air- and moisture-sensitive materials, loading and sealing reactants in appropriate containers or crucibles, and performing high-temperature reactions using induction heating, tube furnaces, box furnaces, vacuum/inert atmosphere processing, or related thermal processing methods. The researcher will retrieve and separate products after reaction, including rare earth metal or alloy phases and salt/slag byproducts;

evaluate metal–slag separation; analyze yields and impurities; and develop improved processing parameters for temperature, time, composition, atmosphere, additives, crucible/container materials, and mixing or stirring methods. The successful candidate will contribute to other ongoing and emerging CMI and Ames National Laboratory projects related to critical materials. These may include synthesis and processing of rare-earth-containing compounds, rare earth and transition-metal intermetallics, magnetic materials, magnet processing, magnet discovery, recycling of critical materials involving hydrometallurgical or wet-chemical recovery routes, mechanochemical synthesis or activation, and preparation of samples for projects involving process optimization, automation, and data-driven materials discovery.

This position is primarily intended for a researcher with strong hands-on expertise in materials synthesis, processing, and characterization.

The work will include developing, planning, and performing experiments; maintaining detailed laboratory records; critically analyzing experimental results; optimizing processes to improve yield, purity, reaction completion, phase selectivity, and reproducibility; and generating reports, presentations, and manuscripts for publication. The position requires the ability to work both independently and in a team setting with a diverse group of researchers, including collaborators at national laboratories, universities, and industry.

The ability to handle multiple tasks, meet milestones, communicate results effectively, and contribute to quarterly progress reports is essential.

Required

Minimum Qualifications:

Ph.D. must be completed prior to start date.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Experience with high-temperature solid-state synthesis, metallothermic reactions, sealed-tube or sealed-container reactions, induction heating, vacuum, inert or reactive atmosphere processing in tube furnace, or related thermal processing methods.

Strong understanding of phase diagrams, crystallography, CALPHAD, and chemistry of 4f elements is encouraged.

Experience with acquiring and analyzing XRD data, including phase identification, qualitative and quantitative phase analysis by Rietveld refinement. Ability to interpret SEM/EDS, DSC/TGA, ICP-OES or ICP-MS, LECO O/H/N,…