RESPECTc joint laboratory(LabCom ANR)

Since 2012, RAPSODEE (UMR CNRS 5302) and ICA (UMR CNRS 5312) have been collaborating with TERREAL on the subject of the introduction of co-products and additives in terracotta products. The materials developed and studied combine components with very strong contrasts of properties and the behaviour during a first thermal cycle are particularly complex. The objectives sought are, on the one hand, to improve the thermal and mechanical performance of the materials by controlling the porosity networks; on the other hand, to reduce the cooking temperature of the materials, the whole leading to the reduction of their environmental impact. At ICA, it is within the MaPP axis of the ICA MSC group that composites are studied.

A first thesis, by Pierre-Marie NIGAY (tel-01464117), was supported in 2015 on the study of microstructural transformations of clay/biomass mixtures during cooking and relationships with mechanical and thermal properties. This work has enabled us to show and understand how the introduction of agricultural residues (crushed straw, olive kernel flour, etc.) enables us to obtain thermal and mechanical insulation performance (hal-01701896, hal-01599984, hal-01619238).

A second thesis was carried out and supported in 2018 by Rababe SANI (tel-02012314), as part of the joint RESPECTc laboratory (Resources and Energy by By-Products for Terracotta Cooking), initiated by RAPSODEE and TERREAL, as LabCom ANR. The collaboration with ICA focused on the study of microstructural transformations of mixtures Clay/Solid Fuel Recovery (CSR) during cooking: relationships between physico-chemical, mechanical and thermal properties (hal-01617979).

In its second phase, in 2017, the joint RESPECTc laboratory expanded to the TERREAL/ RAPSODEE/ ICA scope, with the start of a third thesis, carried out by Aissatou NDONG, devoted to the study of physico-the chemical and thermomechanical behaviour of clay mixtures during cooking and relations with microstructure and the development of vitreous flux.

The ICA is particularly involved in the characterisation and modelling of physico-chemical transformations and the thermomechanical behaviour of materials during an initial thermal cycle of these predominantly inorganic materials. The establishment of relationships between materials, processes and properties is also at the heart of the points considered.

Influence of Adding Agricultural Residues to Terracotta Material (hal-01617979) :
a- RX tomography of the reference clay mineral, after firing,
b- RX tomography of the clay mineral with the addition of olive kernel flour, after firing,
c- RX tomography of the clay mineral with the addition of crushed straw, after firing,
d- evolutions of the mechanical resistance in bending 3 points, depending on the levels of organic additives (experiments and modelling)
e- changes in thermal conductivity as a function of organic additive levels (experiments and modelling)
Model Materials – Influence of Adding Polymer Microbeads in Terracotta Material (hal-01701896):
a- RX tomography of clayey mineral with 6%pd addition of 50 micron diameter polymer microbeads,
b- RX tomography of the clay mineral with addition of 6%pds of 10 micron diameter polymer microbeads,
c- Thermo-mechanical and physico-chemical behaviour of materials during an initial thermal cycle.

Responsible : Thierry Cutard