Research Internship

Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. Our purpose—we bond people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress—is a call to go beyond, to reinvent future forms of progress and create sustainable shared value for all through the power of science. In a world facing an ever-growing population and quest for resources, we aim to be the driving force triggering the next breakthroughs to enable humanity to advance while protecting the planet we all share.

We bond with customers and partners to address today and tomorrow’s megatrends. As a global leader in Materials, Chemicals and Solutions, Solvay brings advancements in planes, cars, batteries, smart and medical devices, water and air treatment, to solve critical industrial, social and environmental challenges. You can count on our innovative solutions to contribute to safer, cleaner and more sustainable future.

**Role Overview**

Solvay is an advanced materials and specialty chemicals company, committed to address key societal challenges. Our businesses are aligned to powerful megatrends like lightweighting. In particular, our advanced thermoset and thermoplastic composite materials enable lighter, more fuel-efficient and cleaner vehicles and increased resource efficiency. These materials are based on resin and polymer formulations reinforced by continuous carbon fibers. They exhibit different types of interfaces at various scales: interfaces between the fiber and the polymer matrix, interfaces between the polymer matrix and toughening agents, macro-interfaces. Their performances strongly depend on the interface's properties.

In this context, we propose an internship aimed at developing an experimental methodology to modify the surface of continuous carbon fibers by several kinds of formulations.

After a literature review, the various surface modifications will be performed both at the scale of one single filament and at the scale of a carbon fiber tow made of thousands of filaments. To reach this goal, existing set-ups and protocols will be used. We will also have to improve our current set-up dedicated to the handling of carbon fiber tows. Then, the physico-chemical properties of the modified carbon fibers will be characterized. To finish, the homogeneity of the surface treatments and the impregnation of the modified carbon fiber by a polymer matrix will also be studied.

**Qualifications and requirements**:
Final-year master student

**Desired skills**:
Good knowledge of the physico-chemistry of polymers and, if possible, in composite materials

**Desired behaviors**:
Student having a good practical and synthetic spirit

**Additional information**:
This paid traineeship in Solvay 'Polymer Materials Design and Development' Department will take place at Solvay Research and Innovation Center in the Lyon Agglomeration

**About us**

After 50 years, we are going back to the Moon... Solvay Materials are making it possible once again for Humans to return to the Moon. Check here our Artemis missions with NASA: we will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon.

Solvay’s purpose is to bond people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. We can only fulfill this purpose with a diverse workforce that feels respected and appreciated, and has equal opportunities to work, grow and thrive. Our differences, visible or not, are valued. As Solvay seeks to promote unity and not uniformity, we invite you - regardless of background, age, gender, race, national origin, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, ability or identity - to consider a future with us.