René Fulchiron

FULCHIRON_ReneFull Professor
STERHEO, RHÉOLogie
Membership: Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
Location: UCBL

Polymer physics / Rheology / Crystallization / Morphology / Processing

Research themes/centers of interest

My activities focus on the relationship between the thermomechanical history of a polymer material, its morphology and the resulting properties. In particular, the aim is to understand, and even predict, the effects of temperature and stresses undergone by the material during the solidification. This approach is based on experiments involving thermal analysis, rheology (dynamic and transient) and measurements of specific volume under pressure. Experimental devices, more specific, have also been developed, such as a shearing hot stage coupled to an optical microscope or, in some cases, placed under a synchrotron beam to follow crystallization and orientation in situ. Obviously, in this scientific approach, attention is systematically paid to the formulation of the material, in order to distinguish its own effects from those of the transformation process itself.

Major publications

  • Effect of self-nucleation on the crystallization kinetics and the microstructure of polypropylene parts manufactured by Laser Powder Bed Fusion.
    T. Maulet, J. Gimenez, F. Demé, P. Alcouffe, R. Véra, C. Barrès and R. Fulchiron.
    Additive Manufacturing, 59, N° 103153, 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2022.103153.
  • An emulsion approach to resolve the paradox of 3D printing of very soft silicones
    C. Perrinet, E.-J. Courtial, A. Colly, C. Marquette, R. Fulchiron.
    Advanced Materials Technologies, 5, N° 1901080, 2020. DOI: 10.1002/admt.201901080.
  • A model for the electrical conductivity variation of molten polymer filled with carbon nanotubes under extensional deformation.
    M. Marcourt, P. Cassagnau, R. Fulchiron, D. Rousseaux, O. Lhost and S. Karam.
    Composites Science and Technology, 168, 111-117, 2018. DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2018.09.015.
  • A thermomechanical modeling approach of the structural changes in semi-crystalline polymers under elongational strain.
    A. Thévenon and R. Fulchiron
    Journal of Materials Science, 49, 433-440, 2014. DOI: 10.1007/s10853-013-7722-x
  • Controlled Shear-Induced Molecular Orientation and Crystallization in Polypropylene/Talc Microcomposites – Effects of the talc nature.
    B. Fiorentino, R. Fulchiron, J. Duchet-Rumeau, V. Bounor-Legaré, J.-C. Majesté.
    Polymer, 54, 2764-2775, 2013. DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2013.03.057.