Fabrication by Binder Jetting and functionalization by DLI-CVD of catalytic objects with high specific surface area

Cirimat; Toulouse; Sur place; EUR 20 000 - 27 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

CIRIMAT seeks a PhD candidate to fabricate and functionalize catalytic objects with high surface area using Binder Jetting and DLI-CVD, advancing an INCANTO project. The student will design 3D SiC/aerated structures, coat them with palladium, and perform multi-scale characterizations to understand porosity, morphology, and thermal properties.

Responsibilities include developing fabrication workflows, exploring coating strategies, and testing catalytic performance in reactors for energy and

Qualifications

• Strong taste for research and autonomy.
• Rigorous experimental approach and information synthesis.
• Excellent oral and written communication in English and/or French.

Responsabilités

• Develop 3D aerated SiC structures by Binder Jetting.
• Functionalize structures with Palladium coating via vapor phase infiltration (DLI-CVI/ALD/AP-SALD).
• Characterize porosity, surface area, wettability, thermal conductivity, and morphology.
• Integrate experimental results with models to guide design iterations.
• Test catalytic objects in a reactor for activity assessment.

Connaissances

research mindset

autonomy

rigor

information synthesis

experimental skills

team spirit

English and/or French communication

Formation

Master 2 or Engineer (materials science)

Description du poste

Fabrication by Binder Jetting and functionalization by DLI-CVD of catalytic objects with high specific surface area

26/10/2026 Contrat doctoral

CIRIMAT

Fabrication by Binder Jetting and functionalization by DLI-CVD of catalytic objects with high specific surface area

Context

This thesis is part of the INCANTO project (funded by french national research agency ANR) that aims to overcome a barrier for catalytic reactors operating in gas-liquid mixtures: in the common case of viscous reactive liquids in exothermic reactions, these reactors suffer from the difficulty of reactants to diffuse into porous catalytic grains, the inhomogeneous distribution of phases in the granular bed, and the inefficient removal of reaction heat. It is proposed to replace traditional catalytic grains with specifically designed, aerated objects with a high surface area. Arranged in a bed, these objects will ensure efficient phase distribution with moderate pressure drop. Some objects will be manufactured in alumina using the Gel Casting method, others additively printed in SiC using the Binder Jetting technique. They will offer variable internal porosity (via thermal consolidation up to sintering, with or without the addition of porogenic compounds) and, if possible, conductive areas. They will be functionalised by vapor phase deposition processes: DLI-CVI (Chemical Vapor Infiltration by Direct Liquid Injection) as the first option, ALD (Atomic Layer Depostion) to overcome potential CVI limits and AP-SALD (spatial ALD at atmospheric pressure) to operate at atmospheric pressure. The objects obtained will be characterised in terms of porosity, specific surface area, wettability, thermal conductivity, morphology, and deposit composition. They will be tested in cold mock-ups (fluid distribution) and then in catalytic reactors for the synthesis of ‘ricin-like’, a compound that could solve the environmental and societal problem associated with the industrial use of castor oil, the development of which is hampered by diffusion and thermal limitations in catalytic grains. This case is representative of many other limited reactions: hydrotreatment of petroleum asphaltenes, or synthesis of biodiesels from biomass.

Aims of the thesis

This thesis focuses on the “fabrication / functionalization / characterizations of catalytic objects” aspects of the INCANTO project. The PhD student is responsible for (1) developing three-dimensional aerated SiC structures by Binder Jetting, (2) functionalizing them by a Palladium coating, carried out by vapor phase infiltration (DLI-CVI as a first option, ALD as a mitigation plan if CVI proves to present too many limitations, and AP-SALD to operate at atmospheric pressure), and (3) implementing ad-hoc multi-scale characterization techniques to better understand each of these steps. The choice of the object's structure relies (i) on models created by other members of the project team and (ii) on physical characterizations (i.e. mechanical, thermal, morphological, and structural) as an input for the models. Characterizations of the coatings (coverage, infiltration, structure, oxidation degree, etc…) will allow the tuning of the deposition parameters. The resulting catalytic objects will be tested in a reactor to evaluate their catalytic activity and suggest improvements for the second iteration loop "object development / functionalization / characterization – testing."

01/03/2027

CIRIMAT

France

Master 2 or Engineer with a strong background in material science.

Strong taste for research, autonomy, rigor, ability to synthetise information, experimental skills and team spirit. Excellent oral and written communication skills (in English and/or French) are required.