Job Information
Organisation/Company: Centre Technique Industriel de la Plasturgie et des Composites (CT-IPC)
Department: Research
Research Field: Drying of fibre pulps
Researcher Profile: First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions: PhD Positions
Country: France
Application Deadline: 1st June 2026
Type of Contract: Temporary
Job Status: Full-time
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?: Horizon Europe
Reference Number: 101227649
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?: No
ENDURE Call for Doctoral Candidate Applicants
To succeed on the ambitious objectives of the European Growth Model, the European moulded fibre products (MFP) industry must have access to a new generation of innovative, entrepreneurial, highly skilled research-oriented cross-disciplinary engineers with direct research experience in: (i) natural fibre material (NFM) engineering; (ii) product design and production engineering of MFPs; (iii) digital manufacturing technologies and Industry4.0 for MFP industry - the ENDURE Doctoral Network comprising 12 Doctoral Candidates is designed to train this next generation of scientists and engineers.
ENDURE is a new Marie Skłodowska Curie (MSCA) Doctoral Network Programme funded by the European Commission, that brings together 5 universities, 2 RTOs and 8 industry partners for four countries. Find more information at https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101227649
ENDURE seeks to recruit < to be filled > Doctoral Candidates (DCs) on a full-time basis over three years starting in 2026.
The Doctoral Candidatess will be hosted by CT-IPC (https://www.ct-ipc.com/), a beneficiary organisation in the ENDURE network, and will be supported by associated partner organizations INSA Lyon (https://www.insa-lyon.fr/) and LaMCoS laboratory (https://lamcos.insa-lyon.fr/?L=1). ENDURE delivers a unique employability and skills development process for DCs ensuring that they can lead the scientific and technological developments in the European MFP industry.
Host and workplace location – CT-IPC and LaMCoS laboratory on the Oyonnax campus of INSA Lyon
Primary Supervisor: Prof Pierre Dumont (INSA Lyon, LaMCoS)
Co-supervisor/mentors: Dr. Thomas Joffre (CT-IPC) and Dr. Florian Martoïa (INSA Lyon, LaMCoS)
Duration and starting date: 36 months, starting as earliest as possible (no earlier than end of January 2026).
Background and challenges
In the paper industry, drying is a critical stage that affects both the quality of the finished product and energy consumption. When paper pulp is processed using innovative injection moulding, specific flow and compaction conditions alter the spatial distribution of fibres and porosity, as well as the fibre orientation within the moulded parts. These phenomena affect the distribution of residual moisture content within the injection-moulded parts, impacting the drying conditions that determine deformation due to thermomechanical stresses. Modelling these drying phenomena in injection-moulded parts is challenging due to the complexity of the shapes and the heterogeneity of the pulp.
Research objectives
This thesis aims to investigate the drying phenomena of injection-moulded paper pulp using an approach that combines mechanical and thermal aspects. The objectives are to develop predictive models and optimise the process for industrial applications. The objective is to develop predictive models and optimise the process for industrial applications. The study will adopt an experimental approach alongside numerical modelling.
- Characterisation of paper pulps:
- Determination of the rheological and thermal properties of the various pulp formulations used in injection moulding;
- Identification of the effects of composition (fibre content, additives, etc.) on drying and deformation behaviour..
- Drying tests under controlled conditions:
- Experiments on samples of injected paper pulp, measuring drying curves, moisture distribution and the evolution of deformations (and cracks) induced during drying.
- Use of characterisation equipment to analyse the structure of the pulps before and after drying, as well as during drying (electron microscopy, in situ drying experiments using X-ray microtomography, etc.).
- Numerical modelling:
- Development of numerical models based on heat and mass transfer equations in porous media, incorporating capillary phenomena and thermomechanical effects in porous materials, as well as mechanical behaviour laws to simulate part deformation.
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element method (FEM) software will be used to solve the coupled equations to simulate changes in material properties during drying, taking into account temperature, humidity and airflow conditions.
Industrial application
The results of this thesis will enable the optimisation of industrial drying processes for injected paper pulp, by proposing energy-efficient and robust solutions. Optimising thermal management and mechanical stresses could also contribute to reducing production costs and improving the durability of finished products.
