Innovating in nanotechnology is the challenge taken up by Alice Grégoire, an Arts et Métiers engineer, during her Master of Science at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.
A new way to manufacture alumina nanoparticles
Developing a more environmentally friendly and economical method of manufacturing alumina nanoparticles while ensuring their purity was the subject of Alice Grégoire's master's thesis, an Arts et Métiers engineer, during her Master of Science at Cranfield. "This research project was carried out for a company specializing in materials for the aeronautics and aerospace industries, as alumina is used in many fields for its resistance to extreme conditions of use, such as high temperatures and corrosion," explains Alice. To do this, the young engineer had access to a research laboratory and various characterization methods. " This work paves the way for the development of a method for producing alumina nanoparticles from molecules that are more environmentally friendly and less expensive than those currently used. In addition, this work has identified a way to reduce the temperature required to obtain the final material, and therefore to reduce the energy required for its production," Alice points out.
The Professor and Mrs. McKeown Prize for the Best Thesis in Nanotechnology, awarded to Alice for her work.
Alice received the Professor and Mrs. McKeown Prize for the Best Thesis in Nanotechnology, an award given each year to the most innovative master's or doctoral thesis in nanotechnology at Cranfield University. "I was really surprised to receive this award, as there were many other projects that were also very innovative! I really appreciated the freedom I had when writing my thesis, thanks to a very supportive supervisor. I am especially proud to have been able to show him that he was right to trust me."
Alice, who decided to continue her studies with a Master's in Management at ESSEC, is currently an intern working as a project manager for the recycling of agricultural tires at Michelin. "My technical background is a real asset for this position, even though it is in marketing."
For this engineer, who chose to study at Arts et Métiers of its "practical" approach, the industrial world is still an obvious choice: "I want to work in an industrial sector, always in connection with materials. I am particularly interested in B2B marketing, as it would allow me to apply my technical and managerial skills and gain a global vision of product development. "
