Description :
Context : With the tremendous technological developments related to the accelerated growth of the field of telecommunications and the development of electronic devices, our contemporary society is increasingly facing the problem of electromagnetic pollution. Expected to grow even faster in the coming years, this pollution leads to interferences that disturb the proper operation of instruments and systems, posing thereby an important risk for applications and human beings and safety. In this context, the project deals with the development of nanostructured polymeric composites with an ultra-high absorption performance of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The strategy relies on tailoring their internal architecture leading to an in-situ morphological structuration with local electrical/magnetic properties. Such proof of concept can be elaborated by an innovative nanolayer coextrusion and emerging injection molding process such as Forced Assembly Multi-micro/nanolayer COextrusion (FAMCO) and In-Mold Electronics (IME). In this regard, flexible films containing conductive and/or magnetic fillers will be investigated as support for Plastronic devices. Hence, the extensive development of gigahertz electronic/plastronic systems and telecommunication devices has raised the electromagnetic pollution to a level never before attained.
The present proposal justifies the necessity and quest to develop novel and effective EMR-shielding multi-material solutions in a wide variety of applications. A part it’s important for human beings and safety, shielding of the final parts is an important topic for all electronic devices. These materials could be used to protect embedded systems against parasites from the direct environment, against malicious actions, for the world of transport (land, air…) for future connected/autonomous vehicles. Overall, the outcome of the present thesis, under the aegis of ANR project (2020-2024), should foster development of new nanostructured smart hybrid polymeric materials with controlled and improved nonstructure and EMR absorption properties. Lastly, this project will be managed in collaboration with the laboratory UJM-LabHC of Saint-Etienne, the companies Clayens NP Group (Sintex) of Genas and MSP Group of Lyon and finally the CWRU (USA).

Objectives : The main objective of the present thesis is to develop new films with a controlled nanostructure and enhanced performances such as an ultra-high absorption of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). By using innovative design to fabricate smart hybrid materials composed of multi-nanolayers, it is targeted to increase the EMR absorption, grantee a good dispersion of conductive and/ or magnetic fillers and explore the possibility of creating oriented and homogenous structures with the said nano-fillers. Moreover, we strive to achieve high-efficiency and robust/alternative 3D electric/magnetic fillers with an electrically conductive hybrid network showing a high orientation and ordered distribution. Therefore, we could take benefit from the confinement effect, mostly one-dimensional, resulting from the multiplication of layers. Among the strategies to fabricate nanolayered polymer films, FAMCO has become a reliable technique for producing micro- and nanolayers in a continuous process. Based on the concept of layer multiplication, this technology renders it possible to control the layer architecture and thickness from the micro- to the nano-scale. Dual experiments and simulations will be performed for tailoring and modeling the dielectric/magnetic properties. The results will offer some new enlightenment for fundamental understanding of layer confinement, the triggered interphases and induced structure.
The originality/focus of the thesis is to gain a true understanding of the multiscale phenomena generated by these technologies, which are rarely present in the literature and the mechanisms responsible for the alignment and dispersion of nanoparticles, as well as of the reinforcement properties under confinement. The project will present new attempts to reach a high orientation and homogeneous nano-filler dispersion in the hybrid material during coextrusion followed by overmolding/thermoforming steps by IME process. The ambition of this project being to understand in depth the nanostructure starting from the molecular level (nano-scale), proceeding up to microscopic dynamics and macroscopic behaviour.
This present approach offers new enlightenment for understanding and tailoring the interfaces/interphases and structure in micro-/nanolayered polymer support films towards the target properties. Indeed, this proposal aims at answering the following questions associated with some scientific hypotheses :
1) How do the filler natures (e.g. their aspect ratios) affect the rheological behavior and the percolation properties in each filled micro/nanolayer ? What is the dominant flow kinematic to obtain a continuous network of the 3D fillers ?
2) How does one obtain and control the expected homogeneous properties with improvement of the layer continuity ?
3) How does one predict the flow properties and layer homogeneity with numerical simulations taking into account the complex rheological behavior of the filled materials, the design of the multiplier elements and the processing parameters ?
4) How does the geometrical/spatial confinement affect the polymer dynamics with conductive and/or magnetic fillers) ?
5) Which crystallization properties (twist, 2D, 1D, etc.) of the obtained nanostructured materials are to be expected in the presence of nanofillers ? What are the most influential parameters on electromagnetic properties ?
6) What’s the effect of the nano-confinement on the dielectric/magnetic properties and the 2-3D conductivity ?
7) Is it possible to predict the EMR properties based on the nature of the fillers and on the layer architectures ?
8) How about the capacity to print electronic circuitry on a 2D substrate prior to converting this into 3D device ?
9) What are the suitable mechanical properties of the materials and the temperature/pressure of the process for overmolding and thermoforming steps during an IME process ?

In a context of circular economy, the last part of the NOEMR project will focus on mechanical recycling of the obtained structures (i.e. shredding-compounding-reprocessing). The recycling concepts of the IME multicomponent systems will involve benchmarking and investigating different routes making it possible to (1) eco-design the 2D nanostructured multilayered support by minimizing the number of constituents (2) remove the metallic or inks circuits by selective chemical solvents or other mechanical delamination tests, (3) keep a lower content of these functional electric circuits and use them as reinforcing fillers in the recycled material.


Profile of candidate and expected skills : The PhD candidate should have an interdisciplinary profile either in rheology and/or polymer processing and modeling.
Responsibilities and expected outputs :

 To conduct and develop an individual research topic,

 Potential supervision of early stage researchers,

 Presentation of the results with the different partners and during the internal lab meetings …

 Experience in topics related to the project

 Fluency in written and spoken English.

Duration : 36 months. ; Deadline : (Urgent) The selection will start asap.
To apply : The application must include : (i) the candidate’s detailed CV, (ii) letters of intent, (iii) copies of degrees. The successful applicant is expected to be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person with strong intellect who is able to take a creative approach to scientific tasks. The applicant should have the skills necessary to be an independent researcher in his respective areas of specialization. The ability to lead and a communicative personality are strong advantages.

Contacts :
Supervisor-NOEMR ANR Coordinator : Khalid LAMNAWAR (Professor Associate-HDR, IMP@INSA Lyon), Tel. 0474819309 or 0673805698. Khalid.lamnawar@insa-lyon.fr

Websites :
www.imp.cnrs.fr:UMR CNRS 2223 « Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères, IMP », Pôle de compétences-Sterhéo : Structure et rhéologie des polymères – Procédés et Modélisation.
www.insa-lyon.fr:Institut National Des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon.

Example of Authors’ quoted references in the field :
[1] Lu B., Alcouffe P., Sudre G., Purvost S., Serghein A., Liu Chuntai, Maazouz A., Lamnawar K. 2020 Macromol. Materials & Engineering, 305, 5, 2000076.link
[2] Lu B., Lamnawar K., Maazouz A., Sudre G. 2018. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10 (34), 29019–29037link
[3] Zhang H., Lamnawar K, Maazouz A., Maia J. 2016 J. of Rheo. 60-1-23link
[4] Zhang, H. ; Lamnawar, K., Maazouz, A. Macromol. 2013,46(1),276-29link
[5] Lamnawar K., Zhang H., Maazouz A. 2013. A State of the art on the coextrusion process : Encycl. of PST. (Wiley library, New York, 2013)link
[6] F Haddad, B Bayard, B Sauviac 2020, IEEE Transactions on Electromagnetic Compatibility,
[7] F. Mariotte, B. Sauviac and S.A. Tretyakov, "Frontiers in Electromagnetics, (Chapter 18 "Artificial bianisotropic composites") ", R. Mittra et D. Werner Editors, ISBN : 978-0-780-34701-4, Wiley-IEEE Press, 1999

Reference : Thèse ANR NOEMR (2020-2024)

Date de démarrage : 01 décembre 2020

Durée : 36 mois

Contacter :
IMP (Lyon & Oyonnax)
khalid Lamnawar
Supervisor-NOEMR ANR Coordinator : Khalid LAMNAWAR (Professor Associate-HDR, IMP@INSA Lyon), Tel. 0474819309 or 0673805698.
email : khalid.lamnawar@insa-lyon.fr
Téléphone : 0673805698

Page web : www.imp.cnrs.fr