PhD position with focus on Sorption induced deformations of nano/microporous materials

Sorption originates at the molecular scale from the interactions between the atoms/molecules of the solid skeleton and the molecules of the fluid. This molecular interaction may lead to sorption-induced deformations. A signature of many disordered materials is the appearance of hysteresis in the sorption and mechanical process. Disorder can be modelled by coupling the material consisting of a distribution of sorption sites and mechanical contacts at different scales. The physical behavior of these features and their coupling can be understood using molecular dynamics and micro-mechanical models. Using upscaling, the coupling between sorption and deformation is modeled in a continuum manner by a poromechanical approach, taking into account the underlying solid-fluid interactions. In this PhD, we develop a coupled poromechanical model for sorption-induced deformation of nano/microporous materials. This poromechanical model is documented from experimental observations and molecular simulation results performed at lower scales. Different microporous materials will be studied: consolidated granular media, cellular materials and composite materials. Hierarchical polymeric materials, like wood, will be studied in more detail with special focus on shape memory effects upon wetting and drying.

The ideal candidate has a master degree in Mechanical, Civil or Material Engineering, Material Sciences, Physics or equivalent and is a communicative scientist with a strong interest in modeling the mechanical behavior of porous materials at different scales. Mastering of the English language is required.