Missions

The recruited postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for studying the rheology and microstructure of suspensions of flexible fibers.

Activities

The microstructure will be determined under simple shear flow in a cylindrical Couette cell. An existing optical setup makes it possible to detect the presence of solid material within the volume of the suspension. Image analysis algorithms will then be used to reconstruct 3D images in which individual fibers are isolated from one another, allowing the measurement of fiber orientation distributions and conformations.

A second type of experiment will consist of subjecting the suspension to a flow in which the shear direction is abruptly changed, while recording the transient viscosity response. These experiments make it possible to characterize the rheology of the suspension in a tensorial manner.

In addition to these experiments involving simple shear flows, extensional flows will also be considered by studying the flow of jets of suspensions of flexible fibers.

Skills

Strong skills in experimental physics (rheology and optics) are required. Knowledge of fluid mechanics and/or rheology would be an asset.

Work Context

The postdoctoral researcher will take part in an ANR-funded project entitled FIBFLEX, bringing together a team of theoreticians in Brest, a team of numerical modelers in Nantes, and a group of experimentalists in Nice.

The position is located in a sector under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore requires, in accordance with the regulations, that your arrival is authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.

Constraints and risks

No constraints or risks have been identified.