Research interests

• Lithium materials processing
• Consolidation and characterization of ceramics
• Rare-Earth metal recovery and recycling
• Used Nuclear Fuel reprocessing

Current position(s)

Staff Scientist

Career path

• Postdoctoral Research Staff Member, High Performance Materials Group
• Staff Scientist, High Performance Materials Group

Highlights

https://pls.llnl.gov/article/52616/lithium-hydride-advanced-technologies

Subject Matter Expertise

Lithium materials, ceramics, sintering, liquid-liquid solvent extraction, metal extraction, radiolysis

Ph.D., Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2018

M.S., Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 2015

B.S., Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, 2012

Selected publications

1. P. W. F. Evans, C. G. Bustillos, H. Charalambous, A. E. Wilson-Heid, J. Shittu, A. J. Swift, J. Root, W. L. Du Frane, Pressureless Sintering of Lithium Hydride. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2025, 45(5), 117152, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2024.117152
2. J. Rivera, Q. Yang, C. G. Bustillos, S. Chandrasekran, A. Wat, E. Sobalvarro, A. Pascall, J. D. Kuntz, Mechanical Response of Architected Boron Carbide-Aluminum Lattice Composites Fabricated Via Reactive Metallic Infiltration of Hierarchical Pore Structures. Materials Today Communication, 2023, 37, 107550, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtcomm.2023.107550
3. C. G. Bustillos, R. Ngelale, M. Nilsson, Low and High LET Degradation Studies of Metal-Loaded Organic Phase Ligands in the ALSEP Process. Solvent Extraction and Ion Exchange, 2023, 41:4, 449 – 482, https://doi.org/10.1080/07366299.2023.2202224
4. C. G. Bustillos, G. C. S. King, T. Baumer, C. K. I. Sio, M. Bora, J. R. Root, J. D. Kuntz, W. L. Du Frane, Densification and Microstructure Features of Lithium Hydride Fabrication. Annals of Nuclear Energy, 2023, 185, 109709, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anucene.2023.109709
5. C. G. Bustillos, M. Bora, G. C. S. King, S. Matt, C. Haertling, W. L. Du Frane, Moisture ingress in commercial steel drums: Water content determination, diffusion modelling and predicted permeation rates. Packag Technol Sci. 2023; 1-19, http://doi.org/10.1002/pts.2715
6. C. G. Bustillos, M. Bora, L. Thornley, G. C. S. King, J. Cahill, J. Kuntz, W. L. Du Frane, Segregation of Impurities in Metallic Lithium Through Melt Settling, Proceedings of the Liquid Metal Processing & Casting Conference 2022, 301 – 307.
7. C. G. Bustillos, C. A. Hawkins, R. Copping, S. D. Reilly, B. L. Scott, I. May, M. Nilsson.  Complexation of High-Valency Mid-Actinides by a Lipophilic Schiff Base Ligand: Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Progress toward Selective Extraction, Inorg. Chem., 2019, 58, 3559 – 3563, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b02849
8.   C. A. Hawkins, C. G. Bustillos, I. May, R. Copping, M. Nilsson. Water-soluble Schiff base-actinyl complexes and their effect on the solvent extraction of f-elements, Dalton Trans., 2016, 45, 15415 – 15426, https://doi.org/10.1039/C6DT01357K
9.   C. A. Hawkins, C. G. Bustillos, R. Copping, B. L. Scott, I. May, M. Nilsson. Challenging conventional f-element separation chemistry – reversing uranyl(VI)/lanthanide(III) solvent extraction selectivity, Chem. Commun., 2014, 50, 8670 – 8673, https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CC03031A

• LLNL Weapon Technologies and Engineering Program Bronze Award, 2025
• Global Security Directorate Silver Award, 2024
• Physical and Life Sciences Directorate Award, 2023
• WCI Gold Award, 2022
• Materials Science Division Spot Award, 2021
• William R. Harburger Memorial Dissertation Fellowship, 2018
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Graduate Fellowship, 2017
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Graduate Fellowship, 2016
• Glenn T. Seaborg Summer Research Fellowship, 2015
• Glenn T. Seaborg Summer Research Fellowship, 2014
• NIH Undergraduate Maximizing Access to Research Careers Fellowship, 2012