Description :
Presentation of the establishment and the laboratory of reception :
CEMEF, which stands for Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux, or Centre for Material Forming, is a leading research centre in the field of material forming. It was created in 1974 and is located in the Sophia Antipolis science park, near Nice in the south of France. It is a research laboratory of Mines ParisTech and has been associated with CNRS, the French National Science Foundation since 1979.
CEMEF develops global approaches in material forming (polymers, bio-polymers, elastomers, metals, alloys...), combining physics, physical chemistry, mechanics, thermics, modelling, numerical simulation (finite element methods, meshing, fluid-structure coupling...). The scientific developments are applied to forming processes : injection molding, extrusion, forging, machining, rolling, welding... It has about 160 people, including 70 PhD students.

Context of the internship :
Aerogels are ultra-light, highly porous and nanostructured materials and the most known ones are based on silica. Bio-aerogels are a new generation of aerogels that are fully biomass-based (usually polysaccharide-based) which opens up a lot of potential in biomass valorisation and making new functional bio-materials. The applications of bio-aerogels are numerous : recently we demonstrated that bio-aerogels can be very efficient thermal super-insulating materials, and because polysaccharides are biocompatible and biodegradable. These aerogels can be used in biomedical (scaffolds) and pharmacological (controlled release) fields.

The goal of the work :
is to prepare aerogels using 3D printing approaches. The exciting area of 3D printing opens new opportunities in biomedical research. Using 3D printing it becomes possible to generate complex scaffolds, for example, for personalized cell growth or delivery of active compounds. In order to make 3D printed bio-aerogel, precise control of the printing process (solution viscosity, gelation and printing parameters) is necessary to preserve the desired shape of the final object. The work will involve the use of several techniques, including formulation, rheometry, use of a specific 3D printer and aerogel characterisation (density, specific surface area, morphology by high-resolution SEM).

Work environment :
The student will work in the Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (Center for Materials Forming or CEMEF), located near Nice, France. CEMEF is engaged in the studies of the formulation, processing and properties of materials that associates physics, physical chemistry, mechanics, thermodynamics and modelling. CEMEF is dealing with synthetic and natural polymers, and their composites and nanocomposites. CEMEF has strong research activities in pursuits and developments of new biomass-based materials including cellulose dissolution and solutions, composites reinforced with natural fibres, bio-aerogels and bioplastics.

Duration : 6 months, starting any time before July 2018

Reference :

Date de démarrage : 02 juin 2018

Durée :

Contacter :
MINES ParisTech - CEMEF
Tatiana BUDTOVA and Alain BURR
1, rue Claude Daunesse - 06560 Valbonne
email : tatiana.budtova@mines-paristech.fr
Téléphone : 0493957470

Page web : http://www.cemef.mines-paristech.fr/sections/formations/stages/s