Postdoctoral project:Elaboration and study of new thermal superinsulating materials based on nanostructured silica and cellulose.

Presentation of the establishment and the laboratory of reception :
The Centre for Material Forming (CEMEF) is one of the research laboratories of MINES ParisTech (top executive French engineering school).
CEMEF studies the materials processings in all their aspects: physics, chemical physics, thermal and mechanical analysis and numerical modelling. Researches are on a large range of materials: metals, synthetic and bio polymers, food stuff, composites and nanocomposites, glass, ceramics…

Description

Objective and context :The improvement of the properties of insulating materials for energy saving in buildings is a worldwide demand and represents a great challenge. One of the ways is to improve the thermal resistance of the insulation layer integrated in the building envelope without increasing the thickness of the envelope itself. SiCX project concerns materials development in this direction.
The overall objective of the project is to elaborate aerogels and xerogels for this application. Silica-based aerogels and xerogels are the best known superinsulating materials but are very fragile. The goal of the present work is to mechanically reinforce them without losing their very low level of thermal conductivity, and this may be done by introducing finely structured cellulosic reinforcing fillers in the silica matrix. The work will concern the synthesis, formulation, drying and characterisation of nanostructured silica-cellulose hybrid and composite materials in order to create new porous and light materials presenting very low thermal conductivity (i.e. λ < 0.020 W/(m.K) in room conditions) together with satisfactory mechanical properties for building application.

The post-doctoral researcher will work in a team from two research centres of MINES ParisTech, Centre for Energy and Processes (CEP) and Centre for Material Forming (CEMEF), both located in Sophia-Antipolis, France. CEP is an expert in aerogels in general and silica aerogels in particular, and CEMEF is an expert in cellulose with recently developed cellulose aerogel-like material, Aerocellulose. The candidate should have a solid background in cellulose, organic chemistry and if possible, in materials science to be ready to work in “material-development” direction.

Nr of positions available : 1

Research Fields

Engineering - Materials Engineering

Career Stage

Experienced researcher or 4-10 yrs (Post-Doc)

Research Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Comment/web site for additional job details

http://www.cemef.mines-paristech.fr/sections/formations/post-docs/pour-postuler/postdoctoral-project

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