FTP - CIFRE PhD Candidate (M/F/X) - Tribology & Materials Science: Tribofilm Durability for Improved Lubricant Performance Prediction

Descrizione del lavoro:

Country France City SOLAIZE Area
69 - Rhône / 69 - Rhône
Workplace location SOLAIZE-CHEMIN DU CANAL(FRA) Employer company TotalEnergies OneTech Domain Laboratories & Analyses, R&D / Intellectual Property / Innovation, Technology Type of contract Fixed term position
Contract duration 36 Months Experience Less than 3 years

Context & Environment

Join TotalEnergies and contribute to an innovative research project conducted in partnership with the Laboratory of Tribology and Systems Dynamics (LTDS) at École Centrale de Lyon.
In a context of continuous improvement of energy efficiency and environmental performance, understanding friction and wear mechanisms is a key challenge for the development of future generations of lubricants.
Under severe lubrication conditions, certain lubricant additives react with rubbing surfaces to form a tribofilm, which helps control friction and wear at the interface. The objective of this CIFRE PhD project is to identify robust mechanical, physicochemical and interfacial descriptors capable of correlating tribofilm properties and durability with observed tribological performance. The results will contribute to improving formulation discrimination and the predictive capability of lubricant evaluation methods, thereby accelerating the development of innovative lubricant formulations.
The PhD candidate will work in an environment combining academic and industarial research, with time shared between the Solaize Research Center and the LTDS laboratory in Écully.

Activities

Your main responsibilities will include:
* Contributing scientifically to the reduction of energy consumption;
* Defining and implementing experimental protocols required to generate tribofilms under controlled conditions;
* Performing tribological testing on various lubricant formulations and materials;
* Characterizing surfaces, interfaces and tribofilms using advanced characterization techniques;
* Processing, analyzing and interpreting experimental results;
* Investigating the robustness, variability and evolution of tribofilm properties under tribological loading conditions, in order to better understand the mechanisms governing their durability and associated performance;
* Developing robust and actionable descriptors to improve formulation discrimination and lubricant performance prediction;
* Collaborating closely with TotalEnergies and LTDS research teams;
* Presenting research progress at scientific and technical meetings;
* Disseminating research outcomes through publications and participation in national and international conferences;
* Writing and defending a doctoral dissertation upon completion of the research project.

Candidate Profile

You hold, or are about to obtain, a Master's degree (MSc/Master 2) or an Engineering degree in tribology, materials science, mechanical engineering, physical chemistry, or a related field involving surfaces and interfaces. You are eager to engage in an applied research project within an environment combining academic excellence and industrial research.
Ideally, you have gained initial experience in a research laboratory or R&D environment (final-year internship, research project, gap year), during which you conducted experimental work and participated in the analysis of scientific results.
You have:
* A solid understanding of materials science and surface/interface phenomena;
* A strong interest in tribology, friction, wear and lubrication processes;
* Hands-on experience with laboratory experimental work;
* Skills in scientific data analysis and processing;
* Good command of scientific English, both written and spoken;
* Ideally, experience with materials or surface characterization techniques (AFM, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, nanoindentation, or similar methods).
You enjoy experimental work and teamwork. You are able to thrive in a multidisciplinary environment at the interface of mechanics, materials science and physical chemistry, and are motivated to contribute to research projects with significant industrial impact