Job offer

European Commission; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

L'Institut Mines-Télécom recrute un post-doctorant en sciences des matériaux pour travailler sur le projet RECYCOMP. Le rôle inclut la recherche sur les matériaux recyclables basée sur des fibres naturelles et synthétiques, avec un fort accent sur l'innovation et la collaboration interdisciplinaire. Le candidat idéal aura un doctorat en chimie des matériaux, d'excellentes compétences en communication et un intérêt pour le transfert de technologie.

Prestations

Environnement de recherche dynamique

Collaboration avec des partenaires académiques

Qualifications

• Formation généraliste solide en matériaux polymères et composites.
• Autonomie dans la réalisation de projets et production de livrables.
• Publication d'articles dans des revues à comité de lecture.

Responsabilités

• Caractérisation physico-chimique des fibres et adhésion dans de nouvelles matrices.
• Optimisation de séparation fibre/matrice pour le recyclage.

Connaissances

Chimie des matériaux polymères

Compétences expérimentales

Travail d'équipe efficace

Compétences en communication

Formation

Bac+8 (Doctorat) en science des matériaux

Description du poste

Organisation/Company IMT Mines Ales Department Human Ressources Department Research Field Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Country France Application Deadline 6 Jul 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2025 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? European Union / Next Generation EU Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Mines-Télécom Institute (IMT), a large establishment within the meaning of the education code, is a public scientific, cultural and professional establishment (EPSCP) placed under the main supervision of the ministers of industry and digital technology. Leading group of engineering schools in France, it gathers 11 public engineering schools spread across the national territory, which train 13,500 engineers and doctors. IMT employs 4,500 people and has an annual budget of €400 million, 40% of which is its own resources. The IMT has 2 Carnot institutes, 35 industrial chairs, produces 2,100 A-rank publications annually, 60 patents and carries out €110 million in contractual research.

Created in 1843, IMT Mines Alès currently has 1,400 students (including 250 foreigners) and 380 staff. The school has 3 research and teaching centers of high scientific and technological level, which work in the fields of materials and civil engineering (C2MA), environment and risks (CREER), artificial intelligence and industrial and digital engineering (CERIS). It has 12 technological platforms and has 1,600 partner companies.

At IMT Mines Alès, everyone is a key player in our Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility (SDRS) approach. We are committed to promoting environmentally-friendly practices, fostering diversity and inclusion, and ensuring ethics in our activities. We encourage all our agents to adopt a responsible approach in their daily actions, and to propose innovative ideas that reinforce our positive impact on society and the environment.

The Mines Alès Materials Center (C2MA) has three research teams: the PCH “Composite and Hybrid Polymers” own research unit (UPR), the DMS “Sustainability of Eco-Materials and Structures” team of UMR CNRS n°5508 LMGC and the RIME “Research on the Interactions of Materials with their Environment” team from UMR CNRS n°5254 IPREM.

The C2MA Center also has 2 teaching departments (GCBD “Civil Engineering and Sustainable Building” and ECOMAP “Ecomaterials and Processes”) and 4 technological platforms (ALCOVES in Pau, MOCABIO, MICRAL and EDMOS in Alès – see figure).

The PCH team aims to develop a new generation of high-performance, eco-friendly polymer, composite, and hybrid materials. Our research focuses on the design of eco-materials made from bio-based resources such as plant lignocellulosic materials or marine algae, as well as recycled materials. We seek to improve the properties of these materials (mechanical, thermal, fire resistance, absorption, etc.) so that they can replace conventional materials often derived from petroleum, thus reducing our environmental footprint. We also investigate ways to improve the durability of these eco-materials and to treat end-of-life plastic and composite waste through various means, including reuse as secondary raw materials, composting, and biodegradation. This research is part of a broader bioeconomy model involving actors ranging from biomass producers to recycling industries, processors, and material manufacturers. The applications for the materials we study are diverse, including construction, transportation, energy, health, environment, fashion, and more.

This work is part of the RECYCOMP project: A new generation of recyclable organic matrix composites (OMCs) formulated from recycled raw materials: towards a circular economy.

The Recycomp project, which began in March 2023 and will last 48 months, is one of the targeted projects of the PEPR (Recyclability, Recycling, Reuse of Materials). It includes collaborative initiatives from the academic sector (TRL between 1 and 4). Activities within this PEPR address the scientific challenges related to recycling in each of the "Material" categories, but they must also (and above all) mobilize relevant multidisciplinary knowledge and fundamental approaches. The RECYCOMP project presented here is dedicated to the recycling and recyclability of OMC materials.

The total recyclability of composites by efficient separation and recovery of their high value-added components remains a technical and industrial challenge. The main problem with recycling organic matrix composites is that most current fossil-based composites cannot be easily separated from each other, nor recycled properly with the matrix.

The RECYCOMP PEPR, bringing together 7 higher education and research institutions (ESR) and 2 leading research organizations of the project (INRAE and CNRS) aims to use (bio)composites from the construction industry, end-of-life pleasure boats, wind turbines and the automotive industry as end-of-life materials. The aim will be to address the three main types of reinforcement fibers: natural, glass and carbon fibers in connection with the different types of associated polymer matrices (most of which are thermosetting) in order to eco-design a new generation of (bio)composites 2.0 obeying an eco-design that can be controlled both by their use and by their end of life. The main objective, which is part of a circular economy approach, will involve the production of (bio)composites whose fibre/matrix adhesion is more easily separable during the recovery stage. A first introductory task of the project led by the CNRS will make it possible to extract the 3 types of fibers from the recycling of composites by co-rotating and co-penetrating twin-screw extrusion under pressure and temperature and by supercritical water before sending them to the various laboratories of the project.

In close collaboration with the results of the 12-month twin post-doctoral fellowship, dedicated to the mechanical characterization of these fibers and their interfacial adhesion within new matrices, the post-doctoral work will focus more specifically on the physico-chemical aspect of fibers with a view to their reincorporation into thermoplastic and thermosetting matrices. They will be dedicated both to the surface characterization of the fibers resulting from the two chemical separation processes mentioned above in terms of surface condition of the fibers (surface tension, organic residual content, functional groups present) and to the development of relevant and original treatments and pre-treatments in order to satisfy the main objective of high-performance (bio)composites and more easily recycling by optimized fiber/matrix separation.

An identification of the optimal approach will be carried out for the reactive, in-situ improvement of the adhesion at the interface between the armor and the polymer matrix. Various promising avenues will be explored by IMT Mines Alès, such as the oxidative pretreatment of fibers by atmospheric plasma to perform controlled oxidations and activate reactive surface sites such as carbonyl bonds. Other ways of pre-treating the surface of the fibres may also be considered, such as ionising radiation or controlled heat treatment. This reactive approach could be complementary to an additive approach in which interfacial coupling agents such as oligomers grafted with maleic anhydride, organosilans, bio-based molecules would be used and could react more easily after reactive treatment. Surface chemical changes will then be evaluated by spectroscopic (FTIR) or surface analysis (AFM, XPS) techniques and surface properties by wettability techniques (tensiometry).

You are in one of the following situations:

A "materials science" profile with a solid Bac+8 (PhD) generalist training in polymer and composite materials and a strong attraction for experimental work. Being in contact with various academic and industrial partners, the candidate must demonstrate good interpersonal skills and be able to work in a wide multidisciplinary field. An interest and experience in material recovery by mechanical and/or chemical recycling of polymers and/or composites will be a plus.

The candidate will be autonomous in the realization of the project and the production of deliverables (writing reports, oral presentations, publications, etc.) and will demonstrate organization, autonomy, initiative, rigor, teamwork and curiosity.

You recognize yourself in the following abilities and skills:

• Knowledge in polymer material chemistry,

• Experimental skills,

• Candidates must have demonstrated their abilities to publish their work in peer-reviewed journal.

• Effective team work skills, ability to deploy and led collaborative research projects,

• Excellent written & verbal communication skills,

• Interest for academic partnership, technology and innovation transfer.

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

The position offered by IMT Mines Alès is a fixed-term contract of 12 months, full-time contract, public law contract falling under the provisions of the management framework of the Mines-Télécom Institute, job P, Post-doctorate, category II.

Salary: to be defined according to profile and experience.

Selection process

Closing date for applications :06/07/2025

Approximate date of the jury : 16/07/2025