Project title: « Wood-based aerogels” (acro

Post-doctoral position at CEMEF (Centre for Materials Forming of MINES ParisTech)
Sophia-Antipolis, France - http://www.cemef.mines-paristech.fr/
Project title: « Wood-based aerogels” (acronym: AEROWOOD)
in the frame of WoodWisdom-Net+ programme operating under the FP7 ERA-NET Plus
Website: http://www.cemef.mines-paristech.fr/sections/formations/post-docs/pourpostuler/cemef-2014-postdoctoral4928
Description of recruiting organization:
Le Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF) est l'un des centres de recherche de
MINES ParisTech, associé au CNRS.
Le CEMEF étudie de façon globale la mise en forme des matériaux associant la physique, la
physico-chimie, la mécanique, la thermique et la simulation numérique. Les matériaux
concernés sont : métaux, polymères synthétiques et naturels, produits agroalimentaires,
composites et nanocomposites, verres et céramiques...
Tous ces projets sont détaillés sur : http://www.cemef.minesparistech.fr/sections/formations/post-docs/pour-postuler
Project description:
The forestry industry has the opportunity to play a major role in the future bioeconomy as it
can deliver both renewable energy and new materials. The future biorefineries will strongly
depend on the development of diversified and innovative applications for all wood
components. Emerging potential of high value-added materials, extremely porous
nanostructured and lightweight aerogels, will be explored in the present project.
The AEROWOOD project in overall will study the ways to prepare novel highly porous and
lightweight aerogel materials derived from all major wood components (cellulose,
hemicelluloses and lignin), as well as on whole wood and unbleached pulp. The aim is to find
new possibilities for valorisation of lignocellulosics to new advanced functional materials.
Part of AEROWOOD project performed in CEMEF laboratories will concern cellulose- and
wood-based aero-, cryo- and xerogels. The work will be focused on cellulose and wood
modification, dissolution, drying and characterisation (morphological, mechanical) of bioaerogels. A special emphasis will be given on systematic structure-properties relationships.
The potential applications envisaged (but not limited to) are biomedical and packaging.
The post-doctoral researcher will work in a research centre CEMEF (Centre for Materials
Forming) of MINES ParisTech located in Sophia-Antipolis, France, in close collaboration
with “AEROWOOD” project partners. CEMEF is an expert in the development of biomassbased materials, in particular, bio-aerogels based on cellulose and pectin.
The position is opened from May 2014.
Project partners: University of Helsinki (coordinator), University of Natural Resources and
Life Sciences Vienna, University of Hamburg and University of Maribor
Keywords: aerogel, cellulose, wood
Skills: knowledge in cellulose physics and chemistry, fluent in English
Duration: 18 months
Location: MINES ParisTech - CEMEF, Sophia Antipolis (06), France
Contact: Tatiana Budtova : [email protected]