General information
Organisation
The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.
Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.
The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
Reference
SL-DES-25-0302
Thesis topic details
Category
Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences
Thesis topics
Development of solid porous siliceous supports for actinide sorption - Behaviour under irradiation
Contract
Thèse
Job description
The aim of this research project is to study the densification of a mesoporous structure under the effect of irradiation damage produced by the presence of an actinide (238Pu) in the porous structure. To achieve this, siliceous materials based on mesoporous silicas modified by the addition of additive elements (B, Al, etc.) will be used. The purpose of adding these elements is to weaken the mesoporous structure in order to promote densification. The characteristics of the mesoporous structure (pore diameter, wall size, symmetry of the pore network) will be other parameters of the study. These materials will be functionalised with phosphonate ligands for actinide adsorption: thorium as a simulant in a preliminary stage, followed by plutonium. The final part of this work, which will continue beyond the thesis, will involve using various techniques (SAXS, BET, microscopy, etc.) to study the evolution of the mesoporous structure under the effect of irradiation damage as the material ages. This fundamental research work could have spin-offs in the field of nuclear waste conditioning materials: ageing of gels on the surface of nuclear glass, support material for decontaminating radioactive effluents. Part of the work will be carried out at CEA Marcoule's Atalante facility.
University / doctoral school
Sciences Chimiques Balard (EDSCB)
Montpellier
Thesis topic location
Site
Marcoule
Requester
Position start date
01/10/2025
Person to be contacted by the applicant
Tutor / Responsible thesis director
DESCHANELS Xavier
xavier.deschanels@cea.fr
CEA
DEN/ICSM//LNAR
CEA Marcoule
ICSM/ Laboratoire des Nanomatériaux pour l’Energie et le Recyclage (LNER)
CEA Marcoule BP 17171
30207 Bagnols sur Cèze
0466796087
En savoir plus
https://icsm.fr/lnar.html