Recycling hydroprocessing catalysts with selective metal recovery methods

IFP Energies nouvelles - Lyon; Solaize; On-site; EUR 10,000 - 12,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remunerated internship

Job summary

IFP Energies Nouvelles in Solaize offers an internship to develop selective metal recovery from spent hydroprocessing catalysts, focusing on short-loop recycling and preserving the catalytic active phase and support.

You will perform tasks on pretreatment effects, extractant conditions, and catalyst characterization, with multidisciplinary training in hydrometallurgy, ICP-OES, and catalytic testing.

Qualifications

• Education: student in 2nd year of Masters or 3rd year Engineering school.
• Specialty in Chemistry with an interest for heterogeneous catalysis and solution chemistry.
• Language: English or French.

Responsibilities

• Study the influence of pretreatment conditions on metal speciation and extractability.
• Influence extraction operating conditions on selective extraction of contaminants.
• Characterize recycled catalysts and evaluate catalytic performances on model reactions.

Skills

Heterogeneous catalysis

Solution chemistry

Curiosity

Enthusiasm

Autonomy

Education

Master's student or 3rd year Engineering school

Chemistry specialty

Tools

ICP-OES

Catalytic testing

Job description

Recycling hydroprocessing catalysts with selective metal recovery methods

In the perspective of a more circular economy where metals are also considered as strategic resources, the development of efficient recycling processes is a priority. Spent catalysts used in the chemical or refining industry often contain valuable metals.

This internship aims at developing innovative solutions for their short-loop recycling leading to reduced environmental impact. In particular, spent hydroprocessing catalysts contain catalytically active metals deposited on an alumina support as well as some contaminant metals accumulated over the entire catalyst lifetime.

The objective of the internship is to optimize the selective extraction of contaminant metals while preserving the catalytic active phase and the support.

Description :

The main tasks attributed to the intern and associated to this project are the following:

• Task 1: study of the influence of the catalyst pretreatment conditions on the metal speciation and the metals extractability (selectivity and extraction yields).
• Task 2: influence of extraction operating conditions (type of extractants, T, concentration, contact time) on the selective extraction of contaminants.
• Task 3: characterization of recycled catalysts and evaluation of their catalytic performances on model reactions.

This internship offers multidisciplinary training in catalyst science, solid–liquid extraction experiments (hydrometallurgy), analytical characterization (ICP-OES), and catalytic testing.

Required profile :

Education: student in 2nd year of Masters or 3rd year Engineering school

• Specialty in Chemistry with an interest for heterogeneous catalysis and solution chemistry.
• Skills: curiosity, enthusiasm, autonomy
• Language: English or French

Additional information :

Workplace: IFPEN Solaize (South of Lyon)

Transport: IFP Energies Nouvelles – Solaize is located 20 km south of Lyon. A personal mean of transportation is recommended but the site can be reached by public transportation as well (a shuttle between the train station of Feyzin or Metro B and IFPEN is available in the morning and afternoon).

Remunerated internship