PIONEER-TOPIC#2025: PhD in Circular Economy: from mine residues to 3D-printed buildings

Universidad de Huelva; España; Presencial; EUR 25.000 - 30.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Una universidad española está buscando un candidato para un programa de doctorado en ingeniería relacionado con la reutilización de residuos mineros y la impresión 3D. Este puesto ofrece la oportunidad de realizar investigaciones innovadoras y formar parte de un equipo internacional. Se requiere una maestría en ingeniería minera, civil o química y un fuerte interés en economía circular y sostenibilidad.

Servicios

Formación doctoral de alta calidad

Colaboraciones internacionales

Formación

• Interés en la reutilización de residuos mineros.
• Deseo de contribuir a la economía circular en minería.
• Capacidad para trabajar de forma independiente y en equipo.

Responsabilidades

• Desarrollar nuevas formulaciones de pastas para impresión 3D.
• Realizar experimentos de laboratorio y análisis de muestras.
• Colaborar con equipos multidisciplinarios en investigación.

Conocimientos

Diseño experimental

Caracterización mineral

Analítica de datos complejos

Comunicación en inglés

Educación

Maestría en ingeniería minera, civil o química

Descripción del empleo

INGENIERIA MINERA, MECANICA, ENERGETICA Y DE LA CONSTRUCCION

Organisation/Company Universidad de Huelva Department INGENIERIA MINERA, MECANICA, ENERGETICA Y DE LA CONSTRUCCION Research Field Engineering » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country Spain Application Deadline 21 Nov 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Introduction & context

Mine tailings (filtered and unfiltered) are by far the main fine grain mining wastes generated in the World (Franks et al., 2021). It consists of very fine grain minerals (P80 typically below 200mm) that can easily form a paste when mixed with the proper concentration of water. Mine galleries backfilling can be highlighted, among other management practices, as the most frequent storage methodology for underground mines around the World (Qi & Fourie, 2019). It implies the generation and storage of pastes by mixing mine tailings (MTs), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and water at varying ratios (typically 65-75 wt% MTs, 20-25 wt% water and 4-8 wt% OPC, (Wang et al., 2021; Wu et al., 2015). In addition, some studies (Yao et al., 2024; Castillo et al., 2010) have shown that a thermal pre-treatment of these fine grain mine wastes can improve their pozzolanic activity and, as a result, enhance their cementation ability, allowing a significant (or even total) reduction of the OPC amount used in the pastes. In parallel, the use of thermally treated clays (like meta-illite or meta-kaolinite) has been explored as components in the formulations of the pastes used for building 3D printing (Luzu et al., 2024). If meta-chlorites in MTs (or other similar substrates like soils or fine grain sediments) achieve a good cementation capacity through geopolymerization it could be used as a key component of 3D printing pastes. This application could open new business lines for the reuse of mine residues in the construction industry. In addition, the new knowledge and know-how obtained, could be transferred to 3D printing in extraterrestrial bodies like the Moon or Mars where the available materials have important mineral and chemical similarities to some mine residues on Earth. The use of concentrated solar light (as a source for MTs thermal heating) open not only the possibility to achieve a methodology with a lower CO2 footprint (compare to other heating options) but also the possibility to use this future technology in other extraterrestrial locations, where other sources of energy for heating might be challenging or absent.

Content of PhD thesis

This PhD research aims to merge three cutting-edge research lines (mineral thermal treatment using concentrated solar light + 3D-printing of buildings + mine residues reuse and revalorization) to develop an innovative new construction methodology under a circular economy strategy. The selected PhD candidate will be based at the University of Huelva, where all the experimental studies to generate the new 3D-printing pastes formulations will be carried out. In addition, he/she will accumulate up to one year of research stays at Gustave Eiffel University (Paris) to test the new paste formulations for 3D printing of buildings. The following stages during the PhD are anticipated:

• Mine tailings (MTs) samplings and characterization: at least three different MTs will be sampled at the Iberian Pyrite Belt (Sw Spain) to ensure covering both a wide range of phyllosilicate types and concentrations and to ensure that the MTs are representative of the different ore bodies and mining operations at this region. Mineralogical and chemical detailed catechizations of the samples will be obtained.

2) The second, and main, stage of the PhD research will be composed of three different lines running in parallel but mutually dependent. The candidate will alternate long periods at the university of Huelva (around 6-9 months) developing new pastes formulations with short periods (around 3 months) testing the new formulations at the 3D printing facilities at Gustave Eiffel University. Additionally, and thanks to a collaboration with the IMDEA Energía (Madrid, Spain) the candidate will be able to use concentrated solar light to induce the mineral thermal transformations.

Thanks to the proposed research strategy, the PhD candidate will become an expert in repurposing mine residues in new pastes formulations for 3D-printing (at the University of Huelva) and at the same time he/she will obtain some important knowledge on the specifics of buildings 3D-printing (at Gustave Eiffel University).

References

Franks, D.M., Stringer, M., Torres-Cruz, L.A., Baker, E., Valenta, R., Thygesen, K., Matthews, A., Howchin, J., Barrie, S., 2021. Tailings facility disclosures reveal stability risks. Sci. Reports 11, 5353.

Qi, C., & Fourie, A. (2019). Cemented paste backfill for mineral tailings management: Review and future perspectives. Minerals Engineering, 144, 106025.

Luzu, B., Duc, M., Djerbi, A., & Gautron, L. (2024). High performance illitic clay-based geopolymer: Influence of thermal/mechanical activation on strength development. Applied Clay Science, 258, 107445. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2024.107445

Wang, H., Sun, X., Wang, J., Duan, Y., Zhang, C., Qiu, J., & Guo, Z. (2021). Effect of Tailings Fine Content on the Properties of Cemented Paste Backfill from the Perspective of Packing Density. Advances in Civil Engineering, 2021,

Wu, A., Wang, Y., Wang, H., Yin, S., & Miao, X. (2015). Coupled effects of cement type and water quality on the properties of cemented paste backfill. International Journal of Mineral Processing, 143, 65–71.

Yao Z., Kashani A., Rawal A., Song H., Kim T. (2024). Heat-induced phase transitions in mining tailings to create alternative supplementary cementitious materials. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 210, 107818.

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Civil engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

This PhD position is open to highly motivated candidates with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in mining, civil or chemical engineering, architecture, geology, environmental sciences or a closely related discipline. The ideal candidate will bring a strong interest in mine residues reuse and revalorization as well as in building 3D printing and a desire to contribute to the future of circular economy in mining, architecture and civil engineering.

Core Competencies

• Capacity to design and execute laboratory experiments and analyze complex datasets with a critical and analytical mindset.
• Interest in field investigation, including sampling and characterization of mine tailings.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and oral; knowledge of Spanish and/or French is a plus.
• Willingness and ability to spend research stays abroad, at University Gustave Eiffel (France) during the PhD.

Beyond technical capabilities, we are looking for a forward-thinking individual, eager to push boundaries and contribute to the development of mining circular economy and sustainability. The successful candidate will join two dynamic research teams at University of Huelva (Spain) and University Gustave Eiffel (France) and benefit from strong collaborations with other internationally renowned institutions (like IMDEA Energia Madrid, Spain) involved in the research line. He/she will also be offered a stimulating academic and applied research environment.

Specific Requirements

• Basic and applied knowledge mineral characterizations techniques like XRD or SEM-EDS.
• Experience in laboratory experiments design, monitoring and analyze of the generated results.
• Familiarity in numerical modelling techniques in civil engineering and architecture.

Languages

ENGLISH Level Good

FRENCH Level Basic

SPANISH Level Basic

Additional Information

High-quality doctoral training rewarded by a PhD degree, delivered both by University of Huelva and University Gustave Eiffel

A co-tutelle between University of Huelva (Spain) and Gustave Eiffel University (France) as the PIONEER partners involved.

Appointment for a period of 36 months

The European label ‘European Doctorate’ may also be awarded at the end of the doctoral thesis under certain conditions.

Eligibility criteria

At the time of recruitment, applicants must be in possession of their Master’s degree or equivalent/postgraduate degree which would formally entitle to embark on a doctorate.

Selection process

The thesis will take place under the PIONEER+ project, a European Universities Alliance, coordinated by university of Huelva. Under the PIONEER project, University of Huelva secured a national funding for one PhD thesis linked to the SDG 11.

Candidadtes pre-selected by the thesis supervisors will be invited to participate in the public call EPIT 2026 organised by the Vice-rectorate of Research & Strategic Planning of University of Huelva, for the funding.