Elaboration and Characterization of Sustainable Polymer Composites based on Cellulose Nano-Fibrils and PLA

Different techniques of extraction of cellulose nano-reinforcement (NR) from agricultural wastes based on green chemistry and white biotechnology have been developed at CITE. Diffrent types of cellulose NR are now available and their use in bio-based and bio-degradable polymers is of interest for the packaging and automotive industries. The thesis project deals with the elaboration of completely bio-based and bio-degradable polymer composites for engineering applications. The project is divided in different steps, including:

- The characterization (morphology, chemical content, chemistry of surface) of the extracted NR.
- The functionalization of the NR by green approaches to ensure their compatibilty with bio-sourced polymers (PLA).
- The blending of NR in polymer matrix and preliminary study of the processability of the blending.
- The elaboration of differents NR/PLA composites.
- Physico-chemical, thermal, mechanical and microstructural of the composites.

Located in Canada, in the Province of Quebec, the Université de Sherbrooke is a French-speaking institution that offers you the opportunity to benefit from an academic education that is recognized and valued around the world.

The Université de Sherbrooke is host to more than 40,000 students, of which 9500 are registered at the University of the Third Age.

The Université de Sherbrooke has been welcoming international students ever since it was founded and each year the numbers increase. Currently, more than 1600 foreign students from 120 countries worldwide attend the Université de Sherbrooke. More than 85% of the students enrolled at the Université are from outside Sherbrooke.

There are 6634 employees at the Université de Sherbrooke, including 3400 professors, lecturers and the clinical professors at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

In Quebec, universities are the only source of higher education. The North-American system is not comprised of grandes écoles or private higher education institutions. North-American universities are considered prestigious establishments and students receive high quality training and recognized diplomas. They can be compared to the European institutes of higher education (grandes écoles) for the quality of education, while remaining affordable.

The Université de Sherbrooke is situated in the southern part of Quebec, 150 km from Montréal, 220 km from Québec City and some 40 km from the American border.

The project will take place at the Center of Innovative Technologies in Ecodesign (CITE) of University of Sherbrooke, Canada. CITE is an infrastructure of totally dedicated to the research dealing with the development of bio-sourced materials valorizing th canadian biomass.

The candidate must meets the following minimum requirements:

- To hold a M.Sc. in Materials Science, Materials Engineering, Materials Chemistry, Polymer Composite or equivalent.
- To have an experience in polymer composites or polymer science.
- To be a serious candidate for academic research.
- To have a level of French anf English sufficient for academic research (i.e. to be fluent (oral, written, read) in both French and English.

References will be asked.