Missions

In the context of the urgent ecological transition, the PEPR Diadem CROCUS project focuses on the rapid screening and testing of corrosion-resistant materials. The selected candidate will employ high-throughput methodologies to develop and characterize highly corrosion-resistant alloys designed for extreme environments, such as those encountered in nuclear energy applications.
The main objective will be to focus on Ni–Cr-based alloys with the addition of third elements, aiming to build a high-quality database that links alloy composition to their physical and chemical properties. The research may also extend to other critical alloy systems, such as Ti and Zr, due to their importance in safety-critical applications.

The postdoctoral researcher will be responsible for high-throughput alloy design, alloy fabrication, metallurgical characterization, and assisting with spectro-electrochemical atomic emission (AESEC) studies. Collaboration with partner laboratories for alloy synthesis and complementary investigations will be an integral part of the work.

Activities

1. Alloy Fabrication: Independently operate the Edmund Bühler AM500 arc-melting and suction-casting system for alloy melting and casting within the framework of the project and collaborative research activities.
2. Corrosion Mechanism Analysis: Contribute to corrosion mechanism studies using the AESEC platform, which integrates ICP-AES with an in situ flow electrochemical cell for detailed mechanistic analysis.
3. Thin Film Preparation: Participate in the preparation of alloy thin films using PVD techniques in collaboration with a partner laboratory.
4. Thermo-Mechanical and Surface Treatments: Perform thermo-mechanical processing and surface treatments on bulk alloys.
5. Characterization: Conduct comprehensive characterization of Ni-, Ti-, and Zr-based alloys, including XRD, SEM, TEM, tensile testing, and thermodynamic measurements.
6. Scientific Communication: Analyze data, prepare project reports, present results at scientific conferences, and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.

Skills

• Education: Ph.D. in Physical Metallurgy, Metallic Materials, or a closely related field.

• Research Experience: Proven expertise in physical metallurgy research and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is essential.

• Skills:
1. Strong hands-on experience in in situ TEM and SEM applied to alloy research.
2. Excellent teamwork and communication skills.
3. Proficiency in English (spoken, written, and scientific writing) is mandatory.
4. Strong ability in data analysis and visualization is required.
5. Knowledge of French or Chinese is an asset.

• International Experience: Prior research experience abroad is highly valued.

Work Context

This postdoctoral position is part of the project “CROCUS – Micro-Laboratory for the Design of Anti-Corrosion Solutions”, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) under the Priority Research Programs and Equipment (PEPR) framework.

The CROCUS project aims to identify and quantify the fundamental reaction steps involved in the passivation and activation of newly developed alloys through a high-throughput materials design approach.

The postdoctoral research will be primarily conducted within the Structural Metallurgy Group at IRCP, Chimie-Paristech, Université PSL, under the supervision of Dr. Fan Sun, co-PI of the project. The researcher will work in close collaboration with partners from the LISE laboratory at Sorbonne University (coordinated by Dr. Junsoo Han, PI of the project) and the S2CM group at CEA Saclay (coordinated by Dr. Pierre Laghoutaris, co-PI).

This position falls under a sector subject to France's Protection of Scientific and Technical Potential (PPST) regulations. Consequently, in accordance with national requirements, appointment is contingent upon authorization from the competent authority of the MESR (Ministry of Higher Education and Research).

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

N/A