Postdoctoral Research Position – Understanding the Ageing Mechanisms of Polyamide 6 Ropes in Marine Environment (M/F/X)

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to understanding the ageing mechanisms of synthetic cables and polyamide 6 (PA6) fibre ropes exposed to the marine environment. The objective will be to identify the physicochemical and mechanical changes occurring in the material during accelerated ageing and to establish parametric relationships between chemical degradation, microstructural changes and the evolution of mechanical properties. Ultimately, this work will improve the representation of PA6 mooring line behaviour in engineering models.

The research will be based on an experimental approach combining ageing tests, physicochemical characterisation and mechanical testing, in collaboration with the teams at France Energies Marines, ENSTA and Ifremer.

Experimental work

• Conduct and monitor ageing tests on polyamide 6 fibres in a marine environment
• Characterise the mechanical properties of materials before and after ageing, particularly through tensile testing and Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)
• Carry out physicochemical and thermal characterisation (FTIR, DSC, TGA)
• Analyse and interpret experimental results
• Investigate the relationships between physicochemical changes and mechanical properties in order to identify degradation mechanisms

Model work

• Analyse ageing kinetics and the relationships between physicochemical changes and mechanical properties
• Contribute to the development of approaches to improve the understanding and description of changes in material properties during ageing
• Disseminate research findings through technical reports, scientific publications and presentations at conferences and project meetings