The Uranium Fuel Laboratory of the Institute for Research on Nuclear Systems for Low-Carbon Energy (IRESNE) at CEA Cadarache develops innovative tools to improve the understanding and control of nuclear fuel manufacturing processes. In the context of nuclear fuel cycle closure and the renewal of future industrial facilities, mastering powder processing operations has become a strategic challenge.

Ball milling is a key step in the production of UOX and MOX nuclear fuels, as it directly impacts powder homogeneity and particle size characteristics prior to pellet fabrication. Despite its industrial importance, the mechanisms of this process are still poorly understood due to the complexity of the fragmentation mechanisms and the interactions between particles with different properties.

This postdoctoral project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of milling processes through a combination of experimental instrumentation, signal processing, data analysis, and modelling. The successful candidate will rely on an instrumented experimental platform incorporating acoustic emission monitoring and high-speed imaging, as well as on an extensive experimental database currently being established using model materials such as alumina.

Particular attention will be devoted to multi-component powder systems in order to better understand the influence of powder properties on fragmentation, mixing, and homogenization mechanisms. The results will contribute to the development of predictive models and a digital twin of the milling process for real-time monitoring and process optimization.

The candidate will acquire expertise in advanced instrumentation, materials science, granular physics, artificial intelligence, and process modelling. These skills are highly transferable to many industrial sectors involving powders and granular materials, including energy, powder metallurgy, advanced ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and food processing industries.