Surgical masks were widely used during the Covid-19 pandemic. To assess their effectiveness in real time, scientists at Mines Saint-Étienne have developed a smart mask, a device that collects data on the humidity of the mask and the wearer’s respiration. Moisture retention is often considered a factor that reduces mask …

To slow the spread of fire, compounds called flame retardants are often used to treat materials to give them fire resistant properties. The problem is that some of these additives can be harmful for humans and polluting for the environment. To solve this problem, research focuses on the production of …

Traditional pneumatic and hydraulic actuators are used in all sectors of industry, but they have their limits in terms of energy consumption. Eclore Actuators, a start-up incubated at IMT Atlantique, has redesigned the component using a new folding process developed in-house. Tens or even hundreds of pneumatic actuators are used …

3D printing is a manufacturing process used for both consumer and industrial applications in the aeronautics, automotive, rail and medical industries. The Shoryuken project being developed at IMT Nord Europe aims to improve the mechanical performance of the objects printed using plastic and composite materials. To accomplish this, it combines …

The linear life cycle of plastics, too rarely recycled, exerts a heightened pressure on the environment. The process of gasification makes it possible to reduce this impact by transforming more waste – currently incinerated or left in landfill – into useful resources like hydrogen or biomethane. Javier Escudero, process engineering …

In 2018, IMT Atlantique researchers launched the FloWAT project, based on a hydroponic system of floating wetlands. It aims to reduce polluting emissions from treated wastewater into the discharge site. Claire Gérente, researcher at IMT Atlantique, has been coordinating the FloWat1 decontamination project, funded by the French National Agency for …

Plastics and composites aren’t recycled as often as we might wish, as a result of a lack of facilities, the right technologies not yet existing or not being profitable, or hazardous waste deposits. IMT Nord Europe have been working in partnership with manufacturers to develop and improve the available technologies. Plastics …

Mines Saint-Étienne | Materials, Sensory metrology, Polymer chemistry and physics

The detection of SARS-CoV-2 viral infections responsible for Covid-19 allows us to monitor the evolution of the pandemic. Most methods are based on individual patient screening, with the disadvantages of cost and time. Other approaches based on the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in urban wastewater have been developed to monitor the …

The industrial roll-out of hydrogen production only makes sense if it emits little or no carbon dioxide. Researchers at IMT schools are working on various alternatives to the use of fossil fuels, such as electrolysis and photocatalysis of water, plasma pyrolysis of methane, and pyrolysis and gasification of biomass. Currently, …