The present project proposes a novel study of the system of photoinduced thermal frontal polymerization, which refers to the synthesis of polymer resins and composites via the photochemically induced initiation, on the surface of a sample, and the subsequent auto-sustained in-depth propagation through a moving thermal polymerization front. This specific polymerization technique, which is compatible with environmental synthesis conditions, provides a sustainable alternative to the typical autoclave composite preparation processes and can be employed locally for crack-reparation purposes. PhotoFront, will reach beyond the current state of the art for these polymerization systems by addressing two key objectives, namely, i) the synthesis of more efficient reactive initiation systems, and ii) the identification of the effect of the different operating conditions and charge characteristics on the evolution of the polymerization process and on the mechanical properties of the produced polymers. In this respect, carefully controlled synthesis experiments will be combined with comprehensive modeling approaches and advanced characterization techniques, by a well-balanced and highly complementary consortium.

The “Quartier du Campus” project will consist of a doctoral mission of dissemination to promote to citizens the research resulting from the four generic ANR projects 2018-2019 led by researchers from the University of Haute Alsace (UHA). The doctoral mission of dissemination and scientific and technical mediation will consist in designing and setting up an operation in co-construction with an audience of non-specialists who will promote the issues, methods and results of the four ANR projects. The PhD student selected will carry out his/her mission of dissemination within the framework of the cultural program of the Nef des Sciences, which is a Technical and Industrial Scientific Culture Center (CCSTI). The UHA develops actions for the dissemination and popularization of scientific and technological culture by relying on the skills of its research units and in close partnership with the Nef des sciences. The PhD student will benefit from training in scientific mediation by the Nef of Sciences, which will collaborate with them throughout their mission. The objective of his/her mission will be to co-construct with the public an educational kit inspired by the research work of the four 2018-2019 generic projects supported by the ANR as part of an action with the Quartier des Coteaux. The Quartier des Coteaux of the City of Mulhouse is characterized today by its modest population (poverty rate exceeding 55%), its two schools and its REP+ type college (high priority education) which make it a Priority District for the City (QPV) of Mulhouse. La Nef des sciences is a partner of the QPV actors in the framework of several projects that it leads in this territory. By choosing the Quartier des Coteaux as territory and partner, the project has the ambition to pursue a policy of action towards a public traditionally considered as excluded from scientific culture (women, modest socio-professional categories, etc.) and to perpetuate the anchoring of the dialogue between science and society in the cultural habits of its inhabitants. The educational kit is a generic word used here to designate a mediation tool inspired by the research of ANR projects and which is intended to be borrowable (itinerant) and usable by many cultural actors (schools, media libraries, socio-cultural centers) . For the project, we would like the PhD student and the Nef des sciences to design this tool by involving the public of the Coteaux and this, in close collaboration with the leaders of ANR 2018-2019 projects. Once designed and produced, the educational kit can also be showcased at events involving the UHA and the Nef of Sciences, such as the Fête de la Science. Finally, it will integrate the Escales des sciences catalog which brings together the mediation tools of the Nef des sciences but also of two of its partners (the University of Lorraine and the Accustica Center for Scientific Culture in Champagne Ardenne). Thus the case will be usable by many actors and durable over time. This project, for the establishment, represents a first in the implementation of this type of doctoral mission. This will also make it possible to expand its portfolio of Science-Society actions and in particular to promote research supported by the ANR. For the doctoral student, this will be the opportunity to strengthen his/her professional experience in the field of scientific mediation. Finally, for the holders of generic ANR projects 2018-2019, this project will allow them, on the one hand, to promote the results of their research supported by the ANR and, on the other hand, an opportunity to exchange with audiences, which nourishes their thinking and places their work in a science-society context.

Processing can induce contaminants in food, especially when high temperature is reached. This is the case of bakery, whose products can contain neoformed contaminants (NFC) from inoffensive precursors in the dough and exogenous contaminants (EC) transferred from the support coating at the interface. EU regulations do not appropriately cover these fields and industrials are missing the tools and protocols to produce breads safely. In particular the existing food simulants and migration tests are not adapted to baking supports. SATIN will focus on Pan Bread and Rusk baked most of the time with Perfluorinated (PFC) coated pans. These two cases represent the main utilization of these coating with effective sticking and ageing problems. SATIN aims at developing technologies and knowhow which will allow the production of pan (tin) bread and rusk with (i) a reduced energy demand for baking by exploring ways to reduce oven temperature with even sensorial qualities and (ii) a better control of the chemical risks associated to perfluorinated antistick coating. One of the challenges lies in the assessment of the ageing of antistick coating in industry and in correlating the ageing with either the baking practices (pan temperature) or the risk of release of EC in the product. SATIN will concomitantly look at both NFC and EC and related their formation to various parameters influenced by food processing. Key objectives are (i) to assess the exposure of EC in particular PFC, (ii) to develop ageing tests in the case of baking support, (iii) to develop testing equipment(s) to monitor the ageing of the coating and to assess the conditions of an anti-stick coating to detect its end of life by analysing the crust condition and the volatiles in the baking oven and (iv) to develop innovative pan coating structure which will permit to mitigate the risk of transfer of PFC in the products. This will be supported by a transversal approach based on a reduction of the baking temperature and by the way of the baking energy. SATIN proposes a “win-win” strategy to reduce the EC and NFC while extending the shelf life of the coating; in turns, it will result in a reduction of the baking energy and a reduction of chemical waste generated when refurbishing used coating. SATIN will contribute to the improvement of the French and European regulation on Food Contact Material (FCM). SATIN will alsoinvestigate vacuum baking to reduce the baking temperature and baking energy with the objective of extending the life span of the antistick coating.

The incorporation of nonlinear phenomena and uncertainties in complex mechanical systems presently gives rise to major problems during the design and construction of industrial structures and buildings. It is clear that optimizing mechanical structures with respect to their vibrational behavior requires a detailed understanding of the structures along with a highly-refined model. Including the set of nonlinear elements that play a predominant role in the dynamic behavior of structures, in addition to elements that contribute uncertainty, proves essential not only to studying the dynamic behavior of systems, but also to devising robust and reliable system designs able to withstand the range of loadings and stresses potentially applied. Handling the problem of accommodating uncertainty or nonlinear effects on industrial structures has necessitated introducing both complex and varied theoretical developments. The more conventional methods for computing responses qualified as nonlinear or containing uncertainties (e.g. time integration, Monte Carlo simulation) would not be plausible on complex structures due to the sizable computation times and memory requirements. Experience has shown that although research into the nonlinear dynamic behavior of structures and the inclusion of dispersion in mechanical systems constitute two distinct subjects often treated separately, the study of nonlinear dynamic behavior in systems containing uncertainties is not straightforward and, as such, has been heavily marginalized. The introduction of robust and reliable nonlinear methods that offer considerable reductions in computation time while guaranteeing a high-quality estimation of the nonlinear dynamic behavior of uncertain systems is still a wide open topic. One of the critical scientific challenges in the near future is thus to develop theoretical tools for application to complex structures, in the aim of predicting the dynamic behavior of nonlinear structures by incorporating uncertainties and optimizing such systems from a dynamic behavior perspective by means of proposing robust and reliable designs. To achieve these objectives, the project will be broken down into 5 primary action components: Action 1: Optimization and robust design of structures with the inclusion of uncertainties by implementing polynomial chaos and interval analysis Action 2: Nonlinear structural analysis through introducing nonlinear methods and nonlinear modal synthesis Action 3: Optimization of nonlinear dynamic systems containing uncertainties with condensation and nonlinear modal synthesis Action 4: Incorporation of uncertainties into the stability analysis of nonlinear structures Action 5: Comparisons and validation of the methods and tools developed by assessing their application potential on actual structures. Given the research topics pursued by the group of young researchers participating in this project on dynamics problems and nonlinear methods, on the assimilation of uncertainties and associated methods and on optimizing system vibrational behavior, the capacity to meet these challenges and treat these key scientific issues constitutes a fundamental objective for the group in continuing to sharpen its skills and earn national and international renown in these topic areas.