Measuring and quantifying have informed Véronique Bellon-Maurel’s entire scientific career. A pioneer in near infrared spectroscopy, the researcher’s work has ranged from analyzing fruit to digital agriculture. Over the course of her fundamental research, Véronique Bellon-Maurel has contributed to the optimization of many industrial processes. She is now the Director of #DigitAg, a multi-partner Convergence Lab, and is the winner …

Whether it is due to oil spills or cleaning out of tanks at sea, radar satellites can detect any oil slick on the ocean’s surface. Over 15 years ago, René Garello and his team from IMT Atlantique worked on the first proof of concept for this idea to monitor oil pollution from space. Today, they are continuing to work on …

Skin contact products, whether for medical, sanitary or cosmetic purposes, have two major drawbacks: they are neither recyclable nor biodegradable. The Polybioskin H2020 project aims to correct these aspects which are out of step with consumers’ growing environmental awareness and concerns. Launched two years ago, the Polybioskin project brings together 12 European partners, including IMT Mines Alès, and will come …

Article written in partnership with The Conversation France. By Rodolphe Sonnier, IMT Mines Alès. This article was co-authored by Clément Lacoste (IMT Mines Alès), Laurent Ferry (IMT Mines Alès) and Henri Vahabi (Université de Lorraine). The discovery of fire is often cited as the most important discovery in the history of mankind, given its major impact on the development of …

High-performance composite materials are used in cutting-edge sectors such as energy, aerospace and defense. The majority of these parts have not yet reached the end-of-life stage, but recycling them remains a medium-term issue that must be considered now in order to offer technically efficient and economically viable solutions when the time comes. The issue is one that Marie-France Lacrampe, a …

At the beginning of 2018, IMT Lille Douai unveiled an additive manufacturing platform dedicated to manufacturing large-scale parts: LASCALA. This equipment is a worldwide innovation.  Its capacity to use any type of polymer even enables it to print 3D composite parts measuring several meters. The scientific challenge has been successfully met and has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for …

In the world of materials, composites are currently undergoing a transformation that is just a significant as the plastics boom in the 1960s. To massively integrate these materials into high-volume production markets—automotive, aeronautics, rail, etc.—manufacturers must further reduce the time it takes to mold the parts. This complex goal is attainable by redesigning the materials’ composition and architecture, adapting the …

Cellulose is one of the most abundant molecules in nature. At the nanoscale, its properties allow it to be used for promising applications in several fields. Julien Bras, a chemist at Grenoble INP, is working to further develop the use of this biomaterial. On November 21st he received the IMT-Académie des Sciences Young Scientist Prize at the official awards ceremony held in …

The INORI platform offers a 3D printing process for industrial parts and custom designs the packaging for these parts. Both patented innovations are central to the national and international marketing plan, made possible by the recent funds the platform raised of €1.5 million.   So, you’ve created a piece of art or technical component… but you’re afraid it won’t survive …

Piezoelectric polymers may be key in the manufacturing of future generations of connected devices. Thanks to their capacity to generate electricity under mechanical stress, they could greatly reduce the energy consumption of intelligent sensors and make them autonomous. But in order to achieve this, researchers must be able to make these polymers compatible with classic production techniques in the plastics …