Let’s take a walkthrough the wood, the material of the future

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Wood shows surprising and widespread promise, far beyond the field of construction. Five researchers from IMT Mines Alès have been focusing their work on this multifaceted material, and the questions raised when considering its use, both in terms of performance and durability.
Chaque année, 213 millions de tonnes de déchets sont produites par le secteur du BTP en France (chiffres Ademe).

The Cirval chair: working towards a construction industry that uses materials and energy more efficently

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Millions of tonnes of waste are produced every year by the construction industry in France. The Cirval industrial chair is therefore devoted to reducing the impact of the sector. The Fondation Mines-Télécom, IMT Nord Europe and a dozen SMEs work together as part of Cirval, developing concrete solutions to recycle, reuse and save resources. At the same time, Cirval works with institutions to adapt standards and facilitate the circular economy in the construction industry.

Fifty shades of clean water

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Growing awareness of the impacts of pollutant discharge on aquatic ecosystems has highlighted the urgent need for a more rigorous wastewater treatment system. At IMT Mines Alès, two researchers are developing characterization methods for thousands of existing micropollutants. This daunting task is the first step in developing environmental remediation systems.

Torrential rain: polluting a long, calm river

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Intense rainfall events linked to climate change generate dynamic runoff which, through erosion, removes materials from the soil, including contaminants. At IMT Nord Europe, research teams are carrying out complementary measurement and modeling work to understand how this displaced matter enters the water cycle, and how to better manage territories.

Éric Guibal: an insatiable appetite for research

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Éric Guibal, a chemical engineering researcher at IMT Mines Alès, works on the use of biomass and biopolymers for metal recovery. He has received national and international recognition for his scientific contributions, which include numerous publications. He also dedicated part of his career to developing an international scientific collaboration network in Latin America and Egypt.

Dwelling with water in the Cévennes: the confluence of research and sketching

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Fabienne Errero is a doctoral student at IMT Mines Alès, whose research focuses on the interactions between the environment and society in the Gardons river basin in Cévennes. For this trained architect, it was an opportunity to redefine the contours of her profession by factoring in the link between architecture and water. As part of her thesis, Fabienne Errero produced a series of “thought drawings”, enabling her to put forward ideas and build on her thinking. The text and illustrations in this article are taken from this work, created by the researcher.

What is concentrated solar power ?

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Concentrated solar power concentrates the sun’s rays to generate heat and electricity. It differs from photovoltaic solar production and therefore offers a new mode of energy production. Ugo Pelay, research professor at IMT Nord Europe, explains the principles behind this system.

Good RESOH-lutions for nuclear power

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The RESOH Chair’s mission is to address safety and performance issues from a socio-organizational perspective. For its third term, the Chair will have a special focus on the issue of skills and facilitating the use of research results by its partners. This research and teaching project led by IMT Atlantique closely analyzes work activities and the dynamics surrounding “safe performance” in high-risk industries, particularly the nuclear sector.

What is methanization?

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Methanization reduces the volume of organic waste and prevents biogas produced by fermentation, including methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from being dispersed into the atmosphere. Biogas is also used to produce heat, electricity and even biomethane for injection into the natural gas grid. Yves Andrès and Khaled Loubar, researchers at IMT Atlantique, tell us more about this technology which is emerging as a key driver of energy transition.

Bio-waste recovery: methanization steps on the gas!

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Bio-waste is everywhere: in wastewater treatment plants, landfills, farms and local communities. Many stakeholders believe methanization offers a timely solution for treating such organic waste, while also producing energy. At IMT Atlantique, a research team is conducting studies on the viability of these facilities and the biogas they produce. As part of their applied research, they use complex tools involving several disciplines.