Extreme Conditions and Materials: High Temperature and Irradiation (CEMHTI)

The aim of this laboratory is to understand the physico-chemical properties of materials under extreme conditions, based on a better description of their structures at the atomic scale, in the solid and molten states. It is developing original know-how and tools for in situ analyses at international level:

• High-resolution, high-temperature spectroscopy (up to 2700°C)
• Non-contact aerodynamic levitation  of molten media
• Particle accelerators and defect analysis These unique experimental facilities are available to the national and international community on the THC NMR IR and EMIR&A platforms.

CEMHTI is also involved in the development of new materials:

• Transparent and refractory (Glass) Ceramics
• Nanoporous for energy and the environment

The laboratory is developing local, national and international academic and industrial partnerships, supported by contracts and regional, ANR and European programmes.

Research topics :

Transparent and refractory (glass) ceramics

Crystallisation,  unbalancedprocessing, melting, quenching, levitation supercooling, laser heating, design, corrosion, thermochemical processes, high-temperature reactivity, new low-CO2 energy sources, etc.

Materials and resonance

Structure, dynamics, order/disorder, NMR methodology, in situ MRI, speciation, diffusion, adsorption, photoelectrochemistry, inorganic, hybrid, functionalised, biocompatible, mesoporous, nanoporous materials, molten salts, adsorbents, energy, electrochemical storage, environment, CO2 capture, catalysts, water decontamination, waste recovery.

Defects, impurities and radiotracers

Behaviour under irradiation, study and engineering of defects and impurities: nuclear, photovoltaic, information and communication technologies, isotopic and radioactive tracers for imaging.

Optical and thermal properties

Optical spectroscopy, disorder, dynamics, structure, Raman, Brillouin, IR, visible, imaging, in situ, glasses, ceramics, liquids, phase transitions, radiative quantities, transport phenomena, emissivity, electrical conductivity, texture, non-contact measurement

Experimental resources:

• NMR platform: IR very high field NMR (FR3050) & RS2E (FR3459). Methods and instrumentation, high Resolution - high Temperature NMR (200, 300, 400, 750, 850 MHz WB)
• Irradiation platform: EMIR&A French national network of accelerators for irradiation and analysis of molecules and materials . Cyclotron and Pelletron: RBS, PIXE, NRA irradiation - slow positron accelerator (0-50 kV)
• High Temperature Platform - elaboration and processing: controlled atmosphere quenching furnaces (2000°C), aerodynamic levitation coupled with LASER heating (3000°C), electron bombardment furnaces (1800°C). Instrumentation and characterisation coupled with heating devices (LASER heating (1500°C) with levitation (3000°C), heating plates (2000°C), controlled atmospheres): NMR, IR, visible, UV, Raman, Brillouin, XRD, environmental SEM, electrical conductivity, corrosion, ATD-ATG, DSC, NRA.