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The France-Japan Joint Laboratory: ELyTMaX

Projects

The France-Japan Joint Laboratory: ELyTMaX

Name

Asako Sugimoto
Professor
Tohoku University Executive Vice President for Reserch,
Director of Organization for Advanced Studies (OAS)

Outline of Research

Established in 2008 by Tohoku University, CNRS, the University of Lyon and INSA Lyon, the ELyT laboratory has been promoting joint research on numerous topics. ELyTMaX (Materials and Systems Under Extreme Conditions) is a research unit composed of 15 researchers from Japan and France. In January 2016, a Japanese-French joint laboratory, ELyTMaX Lab, was established at the International Joint Laboratory Center of the Institute for Advanced Study using the UMI (International Multidisciplinary Institute)　framework of CNRS, the University of Lyon and Tohoku University. From January 2021, the second phase of the project will focus on further accelerating the international joint research between Japan and France by expanding our research to include SDG initiatives and materials informatics.

Research Purpose

In this project, Tohoku University and Lyon University are conducting joint research and education on the development of materials under extreme conditions at ELyTMaX in Tohoku University, where researchers from Lyon University, CNRS and Tohoku University are working together as a university-institute team.

French researchers at laboratories in MaSC and researchers from Tohoku University at INSA Lyon laboratories spend long periods at their respective host institutions to promote joint research and education. Each research term in this project continues for five years. During last year’s midterm report, we received strong evaluations from the department review committee and permission from the evaluation committees of CNRS and Tohoku University to continue our activities. In the second term, in addition to research in the development of basic materials conducted in the first term, we will promote applied research in materials development for the realization of SDGs. Researchers from Japan and France will also work together to build an academic foundation for new extreme materials, with the aim of forming a global research center.

Expected Effect

One of the topics we are researching in this project is polymer coating through the cold spray process. In this process, polymer particles are deposited in the solid phase without being melted, which suppresses oxidation and phase transformation of the particles, enabling the formation of a dense film. We are currently conducting joint research with numerous companies to develop anti-adhesion coatings for corrosion products, erosion-resistant coatings, corrosion-resistant and erosion-resistant coatings for bending parts of pipes, and insulating films for power devices. We are aiming to achieve real-world implementation within a few years.

Taking advantage of results from our collaborative research, we are also working with private companies to develop ceramic coatings, which will be implemented in the development of photovoltaic power generation, artificial photosynthetic membranes, and smart windows. We expect these technologies to be applied to the fields of environmental resistance and renewable energy.

We are conducting joint research between Japan and France as part of a research program to accelerate the decommissioning of nuclear reactors. Through the collaboration of corrosion science, material evaluation and risk engineering, we are working to solve problems in managing the piping of the cooling-water circulation system used for debris removal.

Achievements

We have co-authored 60 papers, given many invitational lectures and presentations at international conferences, and received awards from domestic and international academic societies. In addition, we have jointly proposed and received grant-in-aid for foundational research A, B, and C. We are also conducting joint research with private companies in Japan and overseas.