Presentation
The Inter-University Center for Materials Research and Engineering (CIRIMAT) was created on January 1, 1999, as a Joint Research Unit, through the merger of three chemistry, physics, and materials engineering laboratories on the Toulouse campus. The aim was to consolidate expertise and foster synergies within the site in the field of materials science and engineering. Since then, it has integrated pharmaceutical scientists, molecular chemistry specialists, and hospital practitioners (for 20% of their time), amplifying its structuring role and developing a strong identity.
CIRIMAT (UMR CNRS INPT UT 5085) comprises approximately 220 people, excluding interns, including 108 permanent staff, 80 doctoral students, and 30 postdoctoral researchers, teaching assistants, and contract engineers, located across four geographical sites: three on the Toulouse-Rangueil University campus (UT-Chemistry, UT-Physics, UT-Pharmacy) and one on the INPT-ENSIACET campus.
Permanent faculty and staff are assigned to various Institutes, Schools, and Departments:
– CNRS Chemistry
– National Graduate School of Chemical and Technological Engineering (ENSIACET) of Toulouse INP
– Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSI), Faculty of Health (FS), and University Institute of Technology (IUT, Toulouse and Castres campuses) of the University of Toulouse.
CNRS researchers are primarily affiliated with sections 17, 15, 16, and 18. Faculty members are mainly affiliated with section 33 of the CNU (National Council of Universities), but also with sections 28, 32, and 85. Two hospital practitioners are partially attached to the unit.
CIRIMAT faculty and staff are heavily involved in teaching at all levels at the University of Toulouse and INPT-ENSIACET.
SCIENTIFIC STRATEGY
The objectives are to consolidate the scientific excellence and influence of the unit and to work towards the emergence of groundbreaking scientific advances that address significant societal and technological challenges and positively impact society in the not-too-distant future.
CIRIMAT’s scientific strategy rests on three pillars:
1/ A scientific positioning in Materials Science and Engineering
2/ Maintaining a continuum and balance between world-class academic research and strong collaborative research focused on innovation
3/ A significant contribution to training through and for research
To this end, CIRIMAT develops four long-term Scientific Areas:
* Materials Science and Engineering
* Nanomaterials, Nanostructured Materials
* 2D and 3D Forming Engineering
* Aging and Durability of Materials
In addition, Transverses Axis designed to foster synergies are highlighted periodically. The four Transverses Axis for 2016-2020 are: Additive Manufacturing, Thermodynamic Analysis of Materials, Graphene, and Adhesion. The three Transverses Axis for 2021-2026 are: Biopolymers, Thermoelectric Materials, and Hydrogen.
CIRIMAT conducts multidisciplinary research on major material families (metals and alloys, ceramics, polymers, composites, and multimaterials) in the form of powders, thin films, coatings, and bulk components, from their design to their performance in service. This fundamental and applied research addresses issues with significant industrial and societal impact.
The aim is to identify and overcome scientific and technological barriers that are part of the performance, sustainability, and durability challenges posed by:
– the energy transition (energy efficiency, low-carbon energy production, energy conversion and storage),
– the future of transportation, particularly air travel (aircraft, turbomachines, embedded systems),
– space exploration (LEO/GEO satellites, probes, habitats in autonomy),
– healthcare (personalized and as minimally invasive as possible) for an aging population,
– environmental impact and resource management (sensors, bio-based materials, recyclability).
The unit’s scientific achievements are being leveraged: between 2019 and 2024, 895 articles were published in peer-reviewed journals, 145 doctoral theses were defended, and 40 patents were filed. Four operating licenses are currently active.
Every year, more than 100 new contracts are initiated within publicly and/or privately funded programs: Universities, ANR, PEPR, FUI, PSPC, DGA, DGE, ADEME, ONERA, CNES, IRT, CEA, Region, EU (ERC, Flagship, H2020, Horizon Europe, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, etc.), and industrial contracts (joint laboratories, CIFRE agreements, direct contracts, etc.).
CIRIMAT has established strong and lasting relationships with industrial partners (large corporations, subcontractors, SMEs, start-ups) in France and abroad, which led to its being awarded the Carnot Institute label in the first round of accreditation in 2006. This label was renewed in 2011. In 2016, CIRIMAT and partners in Montpellier joined forces and were once again awarded the label, as Institut Carnot Chimie Balard Cirimat This label was renewed in 2019.
Involved in Quality Management, CIRIMAT has been ISO 9001 certified since 2012.
EQUIPMENT
CIRIMAT has numerous equipments for synthesis, preparation and shaping (powders, layers and coatings, massifs) on a laboratory scale as well as facilities adapted to the production of prototypes or to the development on a pilot scale, thus promoting the transfer of technology to the industrial environment.
Powders: soft chemistry, hydrothermal synthesis, ceramic route, atomization, supercritical CO2, freeze-drying, ...
Thin films and coatings: CVD, PVD, wet processes: electroplating, electrochemical anodization, chemical conversion, sol-gel, impregnation, tape-casting, dip-coating, spin coating, ...
Dense samples: sintering, spark plasma sintering, binder-jetting, additive manufacturing
A wide range of equipment allows microstructural, structural and textural characterizations as well as evaluation of the properties of use by various physical measurements, thermal analyzes and mechanical tests in controlled environments.
Several equipments have been designed and built in-house and are unique installations combining physical and mechanical measurements, temperature and environmental conditions.
CIRIMAT is also heavily involved in modeling and in the in-depth multiscale characterization of materials.
The available equipments are constantly being developed in our Competence Centers (X-Ray, Spectroscopy, Surfaces, Thermal Analysis, Porosity, Electron Microscopy, Mechanical Tests, Instrument-building, ...).
In addition, CIRIMAT makes a strong contribution to the pooling and structuring of research via its participation and support to several platforms and federations:
– Center for Microcharacterization Raimond Castaing
– National SPS Platform(PNF²)
– Federation FERMAT
– Federation RS2E et Labex STOREX-II
– Hydrogen Platform
– PRIMES Platform
– MULTIFAB Plateforme
– Advanced Galenic Platform (GALA)
– CALMIP/CADAMIP
– Nano-rx
– University Research School NanoX
The CIRIMAT quality management
With an aim to building a well-balanced development of high-level basic research and innovation-oriented partnership research, the CIRIMAT Institute is firmly committed to a quality approach to enhance efficiency and improve the satisfaction of both its partners and its supervising authorities.
The main improvements in question concern:
* the collaboration between the teams on different sites
* the efficiency (traceability, pooling of expertise and knowledge, information coordination)
* measure quality and facility reliability (pre-emptive maintenance)
* the outside image of the CIRIMAT Institute
Since July 2012, the laboratory is certified ISO 9001 for all of its activities.
The major guidelines of this management are mentioned in the quality book of the Unit.