IRT Saint Exupéry • Technological Research Institute

Accelerating science, technology research & transfers to industry

Composite materials

Caractérisation des polymères et des pièces composites

Physico-chemical analysis:

  • Characterization of the rheological behavior and thermal degradation of polymers (determination of a phase transformation diagram)

Mechanical testing:

  • Development of non-standard thermomechanical or aging tests combining mechanics, high temperature, and realistic aircraft environmental conditions
  • Modeling and provision of mechanical behavior laws for materials subjected to these specific loadings

Dynamic impact testing:

  • Modeling and execution of impact tests over a wide range of velocities, projectile masses, and energies (bird strike, ballistic testing, etc.)

X-ray tomography:

  • 3D inspection and analysis of component integrity/material state

  • Quality control of assemblies, porosity evaluation, crack detection, CAD-to-part comparisons

  • In‑operando thermomechanical testing on specimens: tensile and compressive tests from room temperature up to 900 °C

Ultrasonic testing:

  • A-Scan and C-Scan

Materials analysis:

  • Sample preparation

  • Material integrity analysis (fiber content, porosity, delamination, etc.)

  • 3D surface analysis and profilometry

Non-standard characterization to evaluate functionalization performance:

  • Measurement of thermal diffusivity/conductivity

  • Measurement of acoustic absorption using a Kundt tube

  • Fire resistance testing

  • Fiber-matrix interface characterization (pull-out tests)

Ceramic materials

Modeling, simulation, AI-assisted data processing, and thermomechanical characterization

Thermomechanical characterization of materials under fatigue up to 5 Hz, 20 kN, and 1700 °C (with heat fluxes potentially exceeding 2 MW/m²). Our multi-instrumented test rig enables precise control of thermal gradients and other phenomena occurring during testing. This high versatility also allows material screening with facilitated discrimination.

Optimization and implementation of digital solutions aimed at accelerating maturity, supporting the production of innovative structures, and reducing development times, with applications in:

  • Automated processes (AFP, FW, etc.)

  • Non-destructive testing (upstream or downstream of manufacturing)

  • Robot trajectory optimization and identification of singularities

Development and application of artificial intelligence for material implementation. Applications range from non-destructive testing (online or offline) to the development of software modules aimed at improving equipment reliability, and even enabling autonomous operation.

Metallic materials

Thermal characterization of alloys

Mechanical testing:

  • Development of non-standard thermomechanical or aging tests combining mechanics, high temperature, and representative aircraft environmental conditions

  • Modeling and provision of mechanical behavior laws for materials subjected to these specific loadings

X-ray tomography:

  • 3D inspection and analysis of component integrity/material state

  • Quality control of assemblies, porosity evaluation, crack detection, CAD-to-part comparisons

  • In‑operando thermomechanical testing on specimens: tensile and compressive tests from room temperature up to 900 °C

Materials analysis:

  • Sample preparation

  • Metallographic analysis (optical and SEM)

Surfaces

The IRT is equipped with expertise and robust capabilities to characterize and evaluate the performance of multifunctional coatings:

Laboratory screening tests:

  • Thickness measurement: Eddy currents, microscopy

  • Adhesion: Cross-section, cross-cut test, pull-off test

  • Impact testing

  • Roughness measurement

  • Goniometer measurements

  • Fluid sensitivity

  • Aging tests such as salt spray according to EN ISO 9227

Service condition testing:

  • Climatic chambers

  • Sand erosion (ASTM D968)

  • Taber abrasion test

  • Wet abrasimeter

  • Pusher test – measurement of ice adhesion

  • Dynamic ice accretion – cold chamber

Custom service condition testing:

The IRT also includes an internal design office, enabling the development of custom test rigs to meet the specific needs of these research projects

  • STORM (rotating arm testing)
  • Accelerated aging tests for coating screening on preforms: coating durability versus rain erosion
  • Ice adhesion testing in a centrifuge
  • Speeds up to 230 m/s
  • Highly representative of flight conditions

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