Performance of low-carbon mineral binders

The internship is available from february/march 2025 for a period of 5/6 months and will take place at the université Gustave Eiffel in Marne La Vallée. 

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is one of the greatest challenges facing our society in the current climate change context. Concrete is the second most used material in the world after water and its impact on the environment is significant, especially in terms of CO₂ emissions resulting from cement production. The cement industry is working to implement solutions to reduce this impact. For instance, it has defined a roadmap to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 by acting at different levels through CemBureau's 5C approach "Clinker - Cement - Concrete - Construction - Carbonation". Reducing carbon impact through low-carbon cements is part of this priority.

In this context, we carried out research in our laboratory on the use of a by-product supplied by an industrial partner for the development of a new binder with a lower carbon footprint than cement. We have obtained promising results. This research internship is a continuation of this work, and will involve the following stages:

• state of the art on the subject;
• further optimization of formulations on the basis of results already obtained in the laboratory: formulation and characterization of manufactured materials (density, shrinkage, mechanical strength, microstructure, etc.);
• report on results obtained.

The candidate is expected to have very strong skills in:
• Materials Science, or Civil Engineering Materials Chemistry with skills in materials science
• Physical chemistry of construction materials
• Sustainable construction.
The candidate must have a strong interest in experimental research (including metrology) and must demonstrate
interpersonal skills that allow him/her to work in a team.