Two projects led or coordinated by the SMS Center / Georges Friedel Laboratory have been accepted under the Metallic and Inorganic Materials and Associated Processes theme.
The HERIA project: Irradiation-resistant high-entropy alloys
Collaborative Research Project – Company (PRCE), it will assess innovative “HEA” (high entropy alloys) for applications in the nuclear industry.
The project involves two industrial partners (Aperam and Framatome) and six academic partners or partners from internationally renowned major research organizations (SMS Center – Mines Saint-Étienne, GPM Rouen, IMN Nantes, CSNSM Orsay, CEA-DEN Saclay and EDF Les Renardières).
The study programme is broad: it begins with alloy design assisted by artificial intelligence (IMN) and atomistic calculation of structures (CEA, EDF), moving on to the production and detailed characterization of model alloys (SMS-Mines) and their analysis under irradiation conditions (GPM, CSNSM) … and going as far as evaluating their behaviour under conditions close to industrial reality (Framatome).
The project is based on innovative alloy developments carried out recently at the School (following an effective start to the “HEA” activity in 2013 with internal funding).
With funding of more than €700k allocated to university partners, this project will make it possible to complete two PhD theses (with the involvement of Mines Saint-Étienne) and to create two postdoctoral contracts (GPM and CEA-DEN).
Contact: Anna Fraczkiewicz, coordinator, SMS Center
The CADHORS project: Computer-Aided Design of Hydrogen-Resistant Superalloys
Hydrogen is known to be a powerful embrittling agent for metals and alloys, even at very low doses. It can penetrate the microstructure of materials, for example during corrosion reactions that may occur on the surface of parts. The phenomenon of “hydrogen embrittlement” has been known for more than a century and has caused several spectacular industrial accidents. However, there is currently no universal solution to this phenomenon.
Collaborative Research Project, the CADOHRS project aims to design new hydrogen-resistant metallic materials. It will begin with a “computational design” phase aimed at envisioning optimized materials. These materials will then be produced and mechanically tested under hydrogen.
Mines Saint-Étienne (Georges Friedel Laboratory) is partnering on this work with the University of Nantes, Jean Rouxel Institute of Materials and the Nantes Digital Sciences Laboratory.
One PhD thesis (1 year in Nantes & 2 years in Saint-Étienne) and one postdoctoral position (in Nantes) will be funded as part of this project.
The staff involved for Mines Saint-Étienne are Cédric Bosch, Claire Roume, Claude Varillon and Mohammad Zamanzade, and Frédéric Christien (coordinator).
