Materials by Design
The Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering Center (SMS) at Mines Saint-Étienne develops research, training, and innovation activities around the development, transformation, and in-service performance of materials. It complementarily articulates experimental and numerical approaches, in close connection with industrial needs.
The center’s research activities are integrated into the Georges Friedel Laboratory (UMR CNRS 5307), and contribute to addressing the challenges of component durability, process control, and energy efficiency, in key sectors such as industry, energy, health, and the environment.
Director
Christophe Desrayaud
christophe.desrayaud@mines-stetienne.fr
Scientific Objectives
The Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering Center (SMS) aims to deepen the understanding of the relationships between microstructure, processes, and properties of materials, and to develop innovative methodologies to predict and improve their in-service behavior. Its scientific objectives are part of a multi-scale and interdisciplinary approach, combining advanced experimentation and numerical modeling, in order to design more efficient, durable, and reliable materials and structures. This work addresses the needs of industrial sectors facing increased demands for resilience, energy efficiency, and safety, while integrating the environmental and economic challenges related to material transformation.
Research Areas
Mechanics and Proceeded of Development direct
This axis focuses on the study of material forming processes, including sintering, compaction, powder metallurgy, and hot or cold forming processes. It aims to understand the influence of process parameters on the microstructure, the final properties of materials, and their in-service performance. The approach combines experimental work and multi-scale modeling.
Physics and Mechanics of Materials
The work of this axis focuses on the characterization and modeling of the behavior of metallic materials, particularly steels, light alloys, and metallic composites. The objective is to link microstructure, mechanics, and durability, taking into account the stress conditions (fatigue, temperature, corrosion) to which materials are exposed in service.
Materials in Interaction
This axis explores the mechanical behavior of complex media, heterogeneous materials, as well as interfacial phenomena (adhesion, friction, delamination). It mobilizes theoretical, experimental, and numerical mechanics tools to model interactions at different scales and predict the evolution of materials and structures under real conditions.
Areas of Expertise
Core Competencies
The SMS Center leverages advanced expertise in materials science, solid mechanics, physics of complex media, and forming processes. Its teams cover the entire scientific value chain, from material development to multi-scale experimental characterization, including numerical modeling and mechanical behavior simulation. The center also draws on extensive expertise in metallurgy, rheology, in-service performance, and surface engineering. This integrated approach allows for anticipating future microstructures and ensuring the performance of industrial structures under the most demanding operating conditions (high temperatures, corrosive environments, extreme stresses).
Application Domains
- Aeronautics and space (mechanical behavior of light structures, high-performance alloys)
- Energy (high-temperature materials, power plant components, energy storage)
- Health (biomaterials, durability of implants and medical devices)
- Transport (in-service performance, structural fatigue, component optimization)
- Environment (sustainable materials, less energy-intensive processes)
These interventions take the form of industrial collaborations, partnership research projects, research-based training, and technology transfers, serving innovation and competitiveness.
Center Members
Under the direction of Christophe Desrayaud (director), accompanied by deputy director François Valdivieso, the SMS center relies on a multidisciplinary team that constitutes an essential pillar of the School’s research, training, and technology transfer activities.
- 58 permanent staff: 28 research faculty, 30 administrative and technical staff.
- 35 doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, actively contributing to the innovative research projects conducted by the center.
Video presentation of the Centre
Contact and Practical Information
- Director
Christophe Desrayaud
Email
christophe.desrayaud@mines-stetienne.fr
Phone
+33 4 77 42 00 14
- Deputy Director
François Valdivieso
Email
francois.valdivieso@mines-stetienne.fr
Phone
+33 4 77 42 00 83
- Address
École des mines de Saint-Étienne
Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering
158, cours Fauriel,
42000 Saint-Étienne, France
- Transport
Bus: Line 6, stop “École des Mines”
