Researcher - Atom Probe tomography and nanoindentation study of irradiation behavior of high entropy alloys (M/F)

- Bibliography on HEA under irradiation
- Sample preparation (mechanical and electrochemical polishing, focused ion beam machining)
- Characterization of microstructures (tomographic atomic probe, electron microscopy) and mechanical properties (nanoindentation)
- data analysis and interpretation
- Participation to ANR progress meetings
- Contribution to the drafting of the ANR deliverables
- Writing scientific articles

High entropy alloys (HEA) seem promising for nuclear applications due to the relative stability of their microstructure under irradiation. The ANR HERIA, started in January 2020, aims to develop such alloys, without cobalt, to assess their feasibility at a pre-industrial scale and to study their potential for nuclear applications. In this context, the successful candidate will be in charge of the study of the ion irradiation resistance of different grades of HEA in comparison to more conventional industrial steels (316L steel, Alloy 718). On the one hand, he will investigate the stability of the microstructure under irradiation using techniques such as Atom Probe Tomography and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The evolution of the microstructures will be correlated as far as possible with the hardening under irradiation, measured by nano-indentation. The successful candidate will carry out these experiments (sample preparation, analyzes and data processing with the different techniques), will present the results during ANR progress meetings and will contribute to the drafting of the deliverables.

The Material Physics Group (GPM, UMR 6634) is a laboratory from the University of Rouen Normandie (URN), the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and INSA Rouen Normandie. It is located on the Sciences and Engineering Rouen Normandie Campus in Saint-Etienne du Rouvray. The GPM is structured into 5 departments:
- Scientific Instrumentation,
- Metallurgy, Microstructure, Mechanics
- Functional materials and nanostructures
- Disordered systems and polymers
- Thematic openings and Innovations
It brings together 160 staff including 60 Associate professors, professors and Researchers, 30 Technical and Administrative staff and 70 PhD students, postdocs and internship students.
The recruited researcher will be attached to the "Metallurgy, Microstructure, Mechanics" department which includes 4 thematic teams:
- Nuclear materials
- Phase transformations Microstructures
- Multi-scale modeling of phase transformations
- Mechanics of materials
He will work in the "Nuclear Materials" team. This team is working on understanding the aging mechanisms (thermal or irradiation aging) of materials used in current reactors (generation II), on the development of new materials for next reactor generations (Generation IV, fusion) and on the relationships between microstructures and mechanical properties. It now brings together 3 Associate professors / professors, 5 PhD students and is supported by 8 research engineers, study engineers and technicians.