FEDER - ULHN - SUPERMEN - INVEST/FUNCT
Kohesio
UNIVERSITE LE HAVRE NORMANDIE
The objective of the SUPERMEN project is to increase the skills of three Norman partners working on the aging and characterization of metallic materials, on the surface and in volume, and from the macroscopic scale to the atomic scale. It draws on the strong existing skills of the various partners and their experimental platforms, which must be supplemented by the acquisition of new equipment and the development of suitable protocols. The lifespan of metallic materials is limited by microstructural developments during use, which in certain cases can lead to the ruin or breakage of certain parts. Understanding aging mechanisms is therefore essential if we want to anticipate their consequences, from an economic and security point of view. This aging results from an attack from the external environment, which generally begins on the surface of the material before extending to its volume. This is a significant industrial problem because it causes accidents due to broken parts, and which induces significant costs. The modifications resulting from this aging must therefore be able to be identified and quantified if we want to be able to predict the evolution of the state of a metal part, or even its failure. It is in this context that the SUPERMEN research program takes place, which aims to broaden the area of ​​expertise and the skills of three partners (GPM from the University of Rouen, CRT A&S from Val-de-Reuil and LOMC from the University of Le Havre) which are complementary in this field.When it comes to studying the oxidation or corrosion of metallic materials, the characterization of their surfaces is the essential first step. The notion of surface refers to a layer of several hundred microns (affected by the diffusion of oxygen for oxidation, nitrogen for nitriding, etc.), or a few atomic layers when we are talking about the protective layer of chromium oxide on stainless steels. These different scales, from a fraction of a millimeter to a few nanometers, must be covered by the joint CEVIMAT laboratory which brings together the skills of the CRT Analysis & Surface (CRT A&S) and the Materials Physics Group (GPM). The aging of materials in volume generally results in an evolution of their microstructure and their mechanical properties. The GPM today brings together an experimental park (scanning and transmission electron microscopies, tomographic atomic probes, etc.) and skills allowing the best quantification of the parameters linked to the microstructure (nature, size, numerical density, dispersion, etc. of obstacles, chemical composition of the solid solution). It is important to be able to supplement these studies with analyzes using non-destructive methods, which can be applied to materials in service, while the degradation mechanisms are at work. It is then possible to monitor the long-term evolution of the properties of the materials, to estimate the aging of the material that the latter undergoes in use, for example during exposure to particular thermal/chemical factors, whether this aging is of internal origin (degradation) or superficial (corrosion). The Uncles et Milieux Complexes (LOMC) laboratory at the University of Le Havre intends to develop, as part of this project, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) using EMAT technology in order to contribute to the identification and quantification of the aging of metals. This technology will allow the development, over the duration of the project, of a new measuring bench which will be added to those already existing, thus ultimately strengthening the possibilities of expertise already grouped within the LOMC experimental park in Le Havre in the field. of CND, and those concerning the aging and characterization of metal materials
Smarter Europe / Research and innovation / Research and innovation activities in public research centres and centres of competence including networking