Research Fellow; Battery Recycling; School of Metallurgy and Materials Grade 7

School of Metallurgy and Materials

Location:

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2029

Closing date: 1st November 2026

The post is a fixed-term Research Fellow for the “SHREDDER” (Sustainable High-value Recovery via Engineered Deconstruction of Energy storage for Reuse) project funded by Innovate UK, a collaborative research and development programme led by Ecobat Solutions UK Ltd, in partnership with the University of Birmingham and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

SHREDDER addresses a critical separation challenge in UK lithium-ion battery recycling: current mechanical shredding processes produce mixed “black mass” in which graphite and metals are contaminated and difficult to separate, resulting in significant loss of recoverable material value. The project reconceptualises shredding from a simple size-reduction step into an active, parameter-controlled separation process, enabling selective liberation of high-value materials at source.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham will investigate the relationship between shredding conditions (mechanical inputs, process atmosphere, and moisture regime) and material outputs, using a purpose-built research shredder developed through the prior DEMO project. Findings will be translated by MTC into industrial-scale engineering designs and validated on Ecobat's operational recycling line at Darlaston, progressing the technology from laboratory concept (TRL~3) to industrial validation (TRL-7) over 36 months.

The postholder will work within the Energy Materials Group (EMG) and contribute to writing future bids; operating within area of specialism. They will analyse and interpret research findings and results; contribute to generating funding; and contribute to licensing or spin‑out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and public understanding of the discipline.

• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Operate within area of specialism
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team with other battery recycling project researchers within the University of Birmingham and at other partners
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars, and presentations
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Operate and further develop the bespoke instrumented research shredder, with due regard to safety, to investigate the relationship between shredding conditions (blade speed, geometry, process atmosphere, state-of-charge, moisture regime), safety, and selective material liberation
• Investigate closed-loop wet shredding processes and additive use to promote graphite delamination and separation from cathode active material and metal fractions
• Characterise shredded cell components, black mass, and separated fractions, including establishing and operating new analytical capability (ICP-OES, SEM, XRD, and XRF) for compositional and microstructural measurement
• Generate validated datasets linking shredding parameters to safety, graphite…