MINT Projects & Partnerships | Mines Saint-Étienne

Flagship projects

The Materials and Interactions Department (MINT) at Mines Saint-Étienne leads several flagship projects reflecting its expertise in innovative materials and processes. Here are some of these projects.

INSTINCT Project

This project contributes to the design of new functional and structural materials through a better understanding of hydrogen embrittlement mechanisms.
The MINT department contributes by developing small-scale mechanical characterization methods for materials subjected to extreme conditions, such as high strain rates and temperatures ranging from cryogenic to high levels.

Re-SOURCE Project

The aim of this project is to build a conservatory of gestures and expertise in the arts and crafts sector to support the transmission and transition of these professions. The MINT department analyzes interactions between artisans and their materials using qualitative, quantitative, and automated processing methods to identify the gestural and attentional signatures of expertise according to material types.

SIRA Chair

The objective of this chair is to improve the understanding of intergranular embrittlement and the aging of low-alloy steel components in nuclear reactors currently in service in France, particularly with a view to potentially extending the operating life of power plants beyond 60 years. The MINT department is developing methods for measuring intergranular segregation using Auger electron spectroscopy on fractures and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy in a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM-EDX).
These projects illustrate the MINT department’s commitment to multidisciplinary research, combining materials science, design, and industrial innovation to address contemporary challenges.