Researcher in analytical chemistry in the molten salt domain M/F

Job Description

Missions

The postdoctoral researcher will work in the Energy and Environment Division of IJCLab, as part of a research team consisting of four researchers—Sylvie Delpech, Céline Cannes, Davide Rodrigues and Charly Carriere—within the framework of a national project, ISAC (Innovative System for Actinides Conversion), coordinated by the CEA and funded by France 2030. This project proposes the transmutation of americium in a molten salt reactor (MSR) for the management of long-lived nuclear waste, with the aim of reducing the quantity of actinides requiring deep geological disposal. Laboratory-scale experimental studies focus on molten salt chemistry, the treatment/recycling of spent fuel salt, and the corrosion of structural materials, while scenario studies are being conducted to determine the inventory and type of waste to be stored. The postdoctoral researcher's work will focus on the chemistry of fission products formed in the molten salt reactor to propose treatment pathways for spent salt

Activity

The post-doctoral fellow will study the chemistry of several fission products of interest (molybdenum, platinoids, selenium, sulfur, etc.) in molten chloride environments selected in the framework of the ISAC project. These studies will be carried out by combining thermodynamic calculations and experimental analyses, mainly carried out by electrochemistry. Analysis tools such as X-ray diffraction, gas micro-chromatography, ATG-DSC, ICP are available in the laboratory to help understanding of the chemical reactivity of the elements chosen in the molten salt. Knowledge of the chemistry of fission products in molten salt environments will make it possible to develop a spent fuel treatment scheme, certain steps of which will be tested in the laboratory.
The research work will be carried out within the collaborative framework of the ISAC project with the CEA and other CNRS laboratories as partners. Regular meetings are planned in which scientific discussions and exchanges take place. The progress of the project is examined during these meetings and reorientations may take place depending on the results obtained.
The research work will be published and presented at national and international conferences.

Your Profil

Skills

The candidate must hold a PhD. The position requires solid knowledge in analytical and inorganic chemistry, with solid training as an experimental chemist. Previous experience in molten salts would be a plus, as would skills in electrochemistry.
The candidate must also have good oral and written communication skills to present the results during working meetings and in international congresses as well as to write reports and articles in scientific journals.
We are looking for a young researcher who will be able to get involved in their project, have a certain autonomy and strong motivation to develop skills in the field of molten salt chemistry in application to nuclear energy. In addition, the candidate must be able to work in a team using the different techniques made available to successfully complete their project. He/she will need to adapt to different work environments and manage this collaborative project, the ISAC project bringing together different academic and industrial partners.

Your Work Environment

The Irène Joliot-Curie 2 Infinis Physics Laboratory is a physics laboratory under the supervision of the CNRS, the University of Paris-Saclay and the University of Paris, created in 2020 from the merger of the five UMRs located on the university campus. d'Orsay. The laboratory's research themes are nuclear physics, high energy physics, astroparticles and cosmology, theoretical physics, accelerators and particle detectors as well as technical research and development and associated applications for energy, health and the environment. The installation of a laboratory for the study of molten salts in Orsay in 2005 and associated experimental devices made it possible to develop various projects, such as the concept of a fast-spectrum molten salt reactor, based on Th/U and U/Pu nuclear cycles, in molten fluoride or chloride salts, the pyrochemical treatment of solid fuel, the corrosion of steels in molten salt environments, the chemistry of heat transfer salts based on molten nitrates for sodium fast reactors or solar power plants concentration, the direct production of UF6(g) and its interaction with structural materials, the nitriding of low-carbon steels in molten carbonate environments or the dissolution of powdery metal waste in molten hydroxides.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

From € 3132,83 gross per month

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions