Internship Offer – Master/Engineer research-oriented (4 - 6 months) on 5 titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), F/M

Company Description

The French Corrosion Institute (IC), consists of a team of 60 technicians, engineers and researchers, based across sites in Brest, St. Etienne, and Lyon. The IC's activities encompass analysis and diagnostics of all types of materials in industrial sectors affected by corrosion: automotive, aerospace, buildings, onshore and offshore infrastructures, energy, shipbuilding, chemical industry, and more. Major French and European industries are involved in the IC’s R&D activities in these fields (with over 50 ongoing R&D projects). The IC also participates in numerous European and international projects and conducts more fundamental research projects in close collaboration with academia.

Internship description

• Context and objectives :

   

  The offer is part of the French-Swiss LoCoMecha project conducted in collaboration with CNRS (Paris-Sorbonne), the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). This project aims to improve understanding and modeling of mechanical and electrochemical interactions for different microstructures of grade titanium alloy, particularly those obtained through additive manufacturing and suitable thermal treatments.

  Titanium, and more specifically the grade 5 titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V), is widely used in the biomedical industry, particularly for the production of orthopedic and dental implants due to its excellent mechanical properties and biocompatibility. However, during post-operative inflammatory phases, this alloy is subjected to mechanical fatigue and electrochemical corrosion phenomena, which can lead to premature degradation of its properties. This degradation affects the durability of implants, compromising their longevity and effectiveness, while potentially releasing harmful alloy elements into the patient's body.

   

  Internship Objective: to contribute to the study of the degradation of the fatigue properties of grade 5 titanium alloy under conditions favorable to its degradation by electrochemical processes. The intern will be responsible for:

  • Studying the degradation kinetics of different microstructures of grade 5 titanium alloy at both macro and microscopic scales.
  • Conducting fatigue tests in a corrosive environment simulating inflammatory conditions around implants (H2O2-driven corrosion)
  • Contributing to the modeling of mechanical and electrochemical interactions to explain the degradation of mechanical properties, providing experimental data to the project partners.
  • Presenting research results to the project consortium, composed of French and Swiss partners.

   

  Duration : 4 to 6 months – on the period January-September 2025

Candidate Profile

Motivated Master’s student (M1 or M2) or student in Engineering school (2^nd or last year) in materials science, mechanics, or electrochemistry.

Strong knowledge of metallic materials, particularly titanium alloys, would be a plus. Skills in material characterization (metallography, etc.) and/or mechanical testing. Interest in electrochemistry and material-environment interactions. Comfortable presenting and discussing scientific results in English. French recommended but not mandatory.

Students who do not fully match the ideal profile described above but are motivated by the internship topic are welcome to submit their applications.

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