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This doctoral thesis will take place in the Chimie et Design Macromoléculaire (CDM) team within the Chimie Moléculaire, Macromoléculaire, Matériaux (C3M, UMR 7167) laboratory at ESPCI Paris, France (ca.18 months), the Hutchinson research center in Châlette-sur-Loing, France (ca. 12 months), and in the team of Prof. E. Van Ruymbeke, Bio and Soft Matter, IMCN at Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium (18 months).
The CDM team is broadly interested in the design, synthesis and study of polymeric and composite materials organized at different length scales, with a particular interest in developing new materials.
The Hutchinson research center aims at developing innovative solutions, using new chemistry of tailored polymers materials, electrochemical and mechatronics devices.
This allows addressing new fields of competences related to electrification and circular economy.
The team of Prof. E. Van Ruymbeke aims to understand the dynamics and flow properties of complex macromolecules and supramolecular polymer networks.
This PhD project is part of the European Doctoral Network ‘ReBond’, which involves eight Universities, five industrial partners and 15 PhD students.
By combining the expertise of the different partners in synthesis, advanced characterization, linear and nonlinear dynamics, mechanical properties, modelling, and plastic product development and processing, we shall uncover the underpinning relationships among processing and performance of vitrimer-based recycled plastics and elastomers.
The CDM team is deeply interested in a class of materials called vitrimers [1,2], which are permanent networks of polymer chains that are crosslinked with dynamic covalent bonds.
These materials are intriguing because they offer a compelling combination of physical properties.
For example, they behave like thermosets at use temperatures but flow like vitreous glasses at processing temperatures.
They typically exhibit excellent solvent resistance, recyclability, reshapability, and weldability, making them interesting targets in the context of realizing a plastics circular economy.
Although much progress has been made on the synthesis and characterization of vitrimers, many challenges remain [2].
For instance, vitrimers tend to be difficult to melt-process (e.g., extrusion) because of high viscosity.
On the basis of conventional methods, it is difficult to overcome the tradeoff between achieving good melt processability and high mechanical performance.
Within this framework, the specific objectives of this PhD will be to design and test innovative protocols to transform different elastomer precursors into industrially relevant vitrimers.
New chemistries will be developed and tested, and their potential for a transfer towards industry will be assessed. The physicochemical and thermomechanical properties of the new vitrimers will be evaluated, and their recyclability with and without the addition of pristine elastomers will be assessed.
Blends of elastomeric and glassy vitrimers will be prepared and their thermomechanical properties investigated.
The project contains experimental works and will be highly interdisciplinary. It will encompass polymer modification, advanced characterization (chemical, physicochemical and rheological), and materials science (processing and thermomechanical properties).
Required background : Applicants must have a master’s degree in polymer chemistry, physicochemistry or material science.
Applicants should have a good background in polymer science.
Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in France for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date (EU mobility rule).
Research unit : Chimie Moléculaire, Macromoléculaire, Matériaux, UMR 7167 (https://www.mmc.espci.fr/), ESPCI Paris, Paris, France, Hutchinson Research Center, Châlette-sur-Loing, France (https://www.hutchinson.com/en/accueil), Bio and Soft Matter, IMCN, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium (https://uclouvain.be/en/research-institutes/imcn/bsma)
Home institutions : ESPCI Paris – PSL (France), Hutchinson (France), UCLouvain (Belgium)
Directors of research : Nathan Van Zee (nathan.van-zee@espci.psl.eu), Renaud Nicolaÿ (renaud.nicolay@espci.psl.eu), Evelyne Van Ruymbeke (evelyne.vanruymbeke@uclouvain.be)
Start date : October 2023 – March 2024
Candidates are asked to submit their CV and provide contact information for references to renaud.nicolay@espci.psl.eu and nathan.van-zee@espci.psl.eu
Keywords : Vitrimers, elastomers, polymer synthesis and functionalization, recycling, rheology, thermomechanical properties.
Literature references :
[1] Roettger, M. ; Domenech, T. ; van der Weegen, R. ; Breuillac, A. ; Nicolaÿ, R. ; Leibler, L. Science 2017, 356, 62-65.
[2] Van Zee, N. J. ; Nicolaÿ, R. Prog. Polym. Sci. 2020, 104, 101233.