Job offer

According to the IEA, scaling Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) is vital, as CO removal must grow from the current 1 Mt per year to 1.1 Gt by 2050. Integrating CCUS with biomethane production represents a key step toward achieving negative emissions. The CLAP-UP project aims to formulate, characterize, and evaluate the performance of a new family of adsorbents obtained from the structural modulation of clays by cation exchange, for the production of biomethane and CO2 from green gas production chains. It addresses issues relating to knowledge acquisition and industrial development of processes for the elaboration of these promising new adsorbents up to their implementation in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) separation units, taking into account economic and environmental aspects. One of the project’s ambitions is to transpose the protocols for synthesizing and shaping adsorbent powders to industrial scale, based on strategies to minimize water and energy consumptions.

The research consortium involves two academic partners: IMT Atlantique/GEPEA (coordinator) and UTC/TIMR, and two companies : Arkema/Lacq research group, specialized in the design and development of adsorbent products and CryoCollect, an innovative and leading company that designs and supplies advanced solutions in the field of gas treatment and liquefaction technologies.

Expected contributions of the Thesis

Due to their abundance, low cost and relatively simple exploitation at industrial scale, natural smectite clay minerals (bentonites) are attractive precursors for the development of porous adsorbent materials. Numerous geological sources of smectite are available worldwide and the combination of diverse clay precursors with a wide range of exchangeable interlayer cations provides a versatile platform for tailoring the interlayer pore structure and chemical functionality of final materials. Preliminary research carried out on a series of cation-exchanged forms of natural montmorillonite showed that systems such as monomethylammonium cation-exchanged clay adsorbent feature outstanding properties for CO2 separation from bioCH41,2.

The PhD research aims to advance knowledge and develop innovative processes for the synthesis of promising new adsorbents, up to their implementation in pressure swing adsorption (PSA) separation units. The study will integrate economic and environmental considerations to ensure sustainable and scalable solutions. Especially, the research has the following objectives:

• to gain a better understanding of the role of the nature of cations and clay precursors on the structure and texture of the exchanged systems,
• to investigate their adsorption properties in biogas representative mixtures;
• to examine the effect of adsorbent powder shaping on porosity redistribution and transfer kinetics;
• To scale up the optimized cation exchange protocols for 1 kg material production;
• To characterize the novel adsorbent performance and stability from pilot-scale tests, operated with simulated real-world (cleaned and dehydrated) biogas streams. These experimental data will also support the development of advanced simulation models as part of the CLAP-UP project.

References:

(1) El Azrak, A. Développement de Nouveaux Matériaux Absorbants à Base d’argiles Pour La Séparation Du CO2 Du Bio-Méthane. These de doctorat, Ecole nationale supérieure Mines-Télécom Atlantique Bretagne Pays de la Loire, 2025. https://theses.fr/2025IMTA0483?domaine=theses (accessed 2026-03-03).

(2) El Azrak, A.; Grekov, D. I.; Pré, P. Role of Textural Properties of Clay-Based Microporous Materials on Their CH4/CO2 Separation Performances in the Context of Biogas Upgrading. Microporous and Mesoporous Materials2025, 396, 113749. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.micromeso.2025.113749.

The candidate, holding a Master’s degree or engineering qualification in Process Engineering, will demonstrate a strong aptitude for experimental research, showing initiative and autonomy. Rigor, curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge, along with excellent writing and communication skills, are also expected., Master Degree or equivalent, The candidate, holding a Master’s degree or engineering qualification in Process Engineering, will demonstrate a strong aptitude for experimental research, showing initiative and autonomy. Rigor, curiosity, and a thirst for knowledge, along with excellent writing and communication skills, are also expected.

Languages ENGLISH

IMT Atlantique, internationally recognized for the quality of its research, is a leading general engineering school under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry and Digital Technology, ranked in the three main international rankings (THE, SHANGHAI, QS).

Located on three campuses, Brest, Nantes and Rennes, IMT Atlantique aims to combine digital technology and energy to transform society and industry through training, research and innovation. It aims to be the leading French higher education and research institution in this field on an international scale. With 290 researchers and permanent lecturers, 1000 publications and 18 M€ of contracts, it supervises 2300 students each year and its training courses are based on cutting-edge research carried out within 6 joint research units: GEPEA, IRISA, LATIM, LABSTICC, LS2N and SUBATECH. The proposed thesis is part of the research activities of the team: VERTE and of the laboratory (GEPEA) and the department (DSEE). The scientific activities of this department are related to materials and processes for renewable energies. Notably, within the CNRS GEPEA laboratory, the VERTE team pioneers waste-to-resource processes and CO2 capture technologies, fostering the development of circular, low-carbon industrial value chains.

UTC/TIMR The TIMR research unit (UTC-ESCOM- https://timr.utc.fr/) aims to develop knowledge and know-how for the transformation processes of renewable materials. Its research activities aim to optimize the use of resources and the renewal of industrial processes, in a sustainable development approach within the framework of the industry of the future. The research unit is made up of 5 thematic groups, including “Divided Interfaces and Environments” (IMiD) with long recognized expertise in the characterization, handling and processing of powders and the modelling of divided solid processes.

The proposed thesis will be co-supervised by Prof. Pascaline Pré, Dr. Denys Grekov (IMT Atlantique/GEPEA) and Prof. Khashayar Saleh (UTC/TIMR). The research will be mainly carried out at IMT Atlantique, in Nantes. The research program also includes a short mobility stay at Arkema/lacq Research group, in Pau in order to conduct PSA experimental tests campaigns.