Postdoctoral position (M/F): Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Foam-Bonded Granular [...]

CNRS; France; Sur place; EUR 35 000 - 45 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading research organization in France seeks a postdoctoral researcher to study and optimize the properties of foam-bonded granular materials. The role involves utilizing numerical modeling and experimental techniques to analyze material performance. Candidates should have a PhD in mechanics or a related field and experience with 3D imaging techniques. This position is full-time within a collaborative research environment, offering the opportunity to contribute to significant advancements in sustainable material applications.

Qualifications

• Strong background in mechanics, particularly in numerical modeling.
• Experience with experimental techniques in granular or porous media.

Responsabilités

• Study and optimize microstructural and mechanical properties of materials.
• Design and fabricate foam-bonded granular materials.
• Implement 3D imaging techniques and perform mechanical characterizations.

Connaissances

Numerical modeling

Experimental techniques in granular materials

3D imaging techniques

Mechanical characterization

Formation

PhD in mechanics or related field

Description du poste

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire Navier Research Field Engineering » Materials engineering Physics » Acoustics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Country France Application Deadline 8 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 2 Feb 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The recruited candidate will have the overall mission of studying and optimizing the microstructural and mechanical properties of granular materials bonded by a solidified foam, within the framework of the ANR project BONDINGFOAM.

• Design and fabricate foam-bonded granular materials, by controlling formulation parameters, shaping processes, and binder solidification.
• Characterize the microstructure of the materials, with particular emphasis on the distribution of the binder at grain–grain contacts and within the intergranular space.
• Analyze the mechanical behavior of granular assemblies, at both the contact scale and the sample scale.
• Establish links between microstructure and mechanical properties, by combining experimental and numerical approaches, with the aim of optimizing material performance.

Within the scope of these missions, the candidate will be expected to:

• Produce granular samples bonded by a solidified foam, using different types of binders and grains.
• Implement 3D imaging techniques (X‑ray microtomography) and exploit image segmentation and analysis tools available within the team.
• Perform mechanical characterizations at different scales and analyze deformation and failure mechanisms.
• Develop and use numerical models to interpret and predict mechanical behavior.
• Carry out a cross‑analysis of experimental, microstructural, and numerical results.
• Disseminate scientific results (publications, presentations) and participate in the activities of the ANR project.

Laboratory context

The Navier Laboratory is a joint research unit of the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées (ENPC), Université Gustave Eiffel, and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), located on the Cité Descartes campus in Marne‑la‑Vallée. The laboratory staff (approximately 170 people) conduct research in the mechanics and physics of materials, structures, and geomaterials, with applications in geotechnical engineering, civil engineering, transportation, geophysics, and energy. Key societal challenges addressed by the laboratory include sustainable construction, natural hazards, the environment, and energy. Research activities combine experimental and theoretical approaches and rely on a wide range of experimental facilities, some of which are unique.

Host team context

The Rheophysics and Porous Media team comprises 14 researchers, 4 engineers and technicians, and around fifteen PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. The team specializes in the study and modeling of the physical properties of particulate materials composed of solid particles, droplets, or bubbles, either packed or suspended in the presence of one or more fluids. Research activities combine experimental and theoretical approaches, as well as numerical simulations based on discrete element methods. The main research topics include granular materials, pastes, colloidal and non‑colloidal suspensions, foams and aerated materials, gels, fibrous materials, capillary systems, and porous media. One of the team's specificities is the use of model materials, deliberately designed to represent simplified but generic versions of the material classes under study, with clearly identified and well‑controlled physical parameters. This approach generally allows for quantitative comparison with physical models or numerical simulations developed for this purpose. The scientific objectives aim at a fundamental understanding of generic material properties, with the perspective of enabling a wide range of applications, notably in construction and housing, the environment, and related fields.

Project context

One of the essential steps in materials recycling is crushing or grinding in order to obtain finer elements, such as granular particles, for sorting and reuse. This process applies to a wide range of materials, including glass, plastics, construction and demolition aggregates, composite materials, and rubber waste. Since crushing and grinding are already energy‑intensive processes, it is particularly attractive to recycle the resulting granular materials as directly as possible. In many cases, simple shaping using a binder, possibly followed by surface treatments, could produce blocks suitable for applications such as urban furniture or construction.
A major practical challenge in the implementation of such granular assemblies—whether recycled or not—is the uniform distribution of the binder at grain contacts, in order to form binder bridges that ensure the cohesion of the assembly. This postdoctoral project is part of the ANR project BONDINGFOAM, which explores the use of complex foams—liquid foams loaded with a binding component—as a low‑carbon binder. Our group has recently shown that the configuration adopted by bubbles around grain contacts naturally leads to the formation of liquid bridges in these regions [1,2]. In other words, the foam deposits the binder precisely where it is most needed. The objective of this postdoctoral project is to assess the potential of this innovative approach in terms of the cohesion provided to granular assemblies.

References

• [1] Pitois O., Salame A., Khidas Y., Ceccaldi M., Langlois V., Vincent‑Bonnieu S., Daisy‑shaped liquid bridges in foam‑filled granular packings. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2023) 638, 552–560.
• [2] Langlois V., Salame A., Pitois O., Petit A., Soltner B., Permeability of foam‑filled granular packing: Numerical modeling. Physical Review Fluids (2025) 10, 053604.

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher with a strong background in mechanics, particularly in numerical modeling, as well as experimental skills, ideally in the field of granular or porous media. Depending on the candidate's skills and preferences, the postdoctoral project may be refocused on specific aspects outlined above.