Marc Bernacki

Research Director

Center · CEMEF

Keywords

Awards & distinctions

2024 2024 Albert Portevin Medal, SF2M
2017 TERATEC Award for HPC Computing won by Transvalor (Etienne Perchat) and CEMEF for the DIGIMU software (Digital Simulation Awards, Collaboration category),
2013 Special Jury Prize for the Science Award, ESAFORM

Team

MSR - Métallurgie, Structure, Rhéologie

Biography

Marc Bernacki is a researcher specializing in the study of microstructural changes in metallic materials during hot forming processes. His work focuses on the physical and numerical modeling of mechanisms such as continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), grain growth, and interactions between precipitates and grain boundaries. His research specifically addresses the influence of thermomechanical parameters (temperature, strain rate, stored energy) on the microstructure, using multiscale approaches that combine experiments (EBSD, SEM, dilatometry) and numerical simulations (level-set methods, finite elements). Bernacki has contributed to the development of predictive models for aluminum alloys, nickel-based superalloys, and zirconium alloys, with industrial applications in the aerospace and nuclear sectors. His recent work also explores the impact of microstructural inhomogeneities on the final mechanical properties of materials.

Teaching

Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) track

Guest Lecturer

The Second Year: Discover, Observe, Experiment The two-week elective period is devoted to a mini-project in pairs, in one of the School’s two laboratories (the Materials Center in Evry or the Materials Processing Center in Sophia-Antipolis, with more than 70 faculty members supporting the elective). The topics revolve around a specific industrial project. The focus is on discovering physical, chemical, and mechanical phenomena—and on quantifying them. A detailed report and an oral presentation allow students not only to develop communication skills but, above all, to learn from one another. Some topics include: investigation of a railway brake failure, investigation of non-conformity in metal seals, welding (instrumented testing and numerical modeling), study of foam formation mechanisms for automotive seats, aerogel formation for super-insulation or biomedical applications... The 3rd Year: Understanding, Making Choices, Optimizing The two highlights of the third year are the elective month (beginning at the start of the academic year) and the personal project, which takes up the rest of the time allocated to the elective. The elective month: “Materials and Engineers” in a specific industrial sector. The elective month is devoted to materials engineering and focuses on a specific industrial sector (2004 and 2005: the automotive industry; 2006 and 2007: aerospace; 2008 and 2009: construction; 2010 and 2011: energy; 2012 and 2013: healthcare; 2014 and 2015: aerospace). The wide range of activities fosters hands-on learning and helps build a cohesive group, enriched by the diverse backgrounds and personalities of both students and teachers: industrial tours: the development, processing, and use of materials in the chosen field; a few lectures given by industry experts; “Industrial Discovery” mini-projects: 5 days in groups of 2 to 4 students at an industrial site, supervised by on-site engineers, working on an engineering problem; a written report (for internal company use) and an oral presentation allow the different groups to share the knowledge and experiences gained in the field; a few “classes”—which are actually sessions to prepare for the visits and “debriefing” sessions in the form of Q&A sessions with faculty regarding the lectures and industrial visits. The elective project: applying methods and knowledge to solve an industrial problem. These individual elective projects form the backbone of the third year. Defined as early as October, in accordance with each student’s preferences, they focus on a clearly identified industrial problem. Lasting at least 4 months (a total of 8 months for Polytech students in the “specialized track”), they take place at an industrial site under dual supervision: engineers from the company on one hand, and a faculty researcher from one of the School’s two “Materials” laboratories on the other. The emphasis is on understanding the underlying phenomena and solving the practical problem at hand. Some representative elective topics covered in recent years: selection of a material for a Formula 1 racing car component (Renault, Viry-Châtillon); modeling of thin films deposited on glass (Saint-Gobain, Thourotte); selection and sizing of a shock-absorbing foam (SNCF, Le Mans); feasibility of coating pistons via plasma spraying (Toyota, Evry—Belgium – Japan); an innovative steel continuous casting process (Vallourec, Aulnoye-Aymeries / Brazil); optimization of the fiber-reinforced polymer injection molding process (Bosch, Germany); analysis of medieval gilded enameled glass (Laboratoire des Musées de France, Paris); prediction of fracture properties of steels for gas pipelines (ArcelorMittal, Ghent, Belgium). acceptance criteria for forging defects (PSA, La Garenne-Colombes); painting defects on automotive plastic body parts (Mécaplast, Monaco) welding of superalloy parts for space launch vehicles (Snecma, Vernon) improvement of non-destructive testing of power plant components (EDF, Saint-Denis) decontamination of concrete used in civil engineering for nuclear power plants (Bouygues, St-Quentin / CEA, Marcoule) Improving the manufacturing of composite parts for the aerospace industry (Dassault, Argenteuil) Material selection for endoscopic probes with integrated microscopes (Mauna Kea Technologies, Paris) Key features of the track: Hands-on experience! The track includes very few courses in the traditional sense: knowledge and skills are acquired through courses offered to all students (core curriculum, specialized courses) and, above all, by sharing each student’s real-world experiences in the field. It’s about experimenting on your own and as part of a team (with dual mentoring by an industrial engineer and a faculty researcher). Intensive group work The diversity and number of students in the track allow everyone to learn from and with one another. This provides effective training in self-directed learning methods that engineers will use throughout their careers to remain key players in their fields of expertise and take control of their professional development. Interdisciplinary Approach The field of materials lies at the intersection of disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mechanics, applied mathematics, and numerical modeling. Elective projects often include both an experimental component and a modeling component, providing a well-rounded education in materials science. The track covers ceramics, “plastics,” metals, and alloys, as well as ancient artifacts (archaeology) and the latest innovations (“biological” steels, bio-based and non-bio-based aerogels, etc.).

PhD supervision

2026 Consideration of heterogeneous properties and prediction of heterogeneous characteristics within the full-field formalism integrated into DIGIMU GAGGIOLI Matteo
2025 Development of a new multiphase grain structure model and application to additive manufacturing of high-entropy alloys MERA RINCON Jhon Alexander
2025 Full-field modeling of solid-state phase transformation in titanium alloys LIU Bowen
2025 Multi-scale Modeling in Titanium Alloys PEREZ HURTADO David
2025 Mean-field modeling of microstructure evolution ROJAS LONDOÑO Natalia
2025 Microstructural evolution analysis during hot deformation of γ/γ̇ superalloys in subsolvus condition: static recrystallization, dynamic recrystallization, and interaction with γ̇ precipitates MARSALET Clément
2025 Understanding and predicting the evolution of the A286 microstructure during its forming process for aeronautical forged parts ROBERT Emile
2025 Finite element modeling at the mesoscopic scale of alloys produced by powder metallurgy through hot isostatic pressing TAINTURIER Antoine
2024 AI-driven generation of microstructures from limited data LABADY Sterley
2024 Grain growth mechanisms and kinetics in a nickel-based superalloy produced by powder metallurgy for next-generation turbine disks STRADY Corentin
2024 Multi-scale modeling of UO2 fuel restructuring for low-temperature small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) DJONOVIC Aleksandar
2023 The impact of circular rolling on the microstructure of next-generation turbine disks HUYGHE Théo
2023 Continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) modeling ABARAY Lahcen
2023 AI and Digital Twins in Metallurgy - Modeling and Tracking Evolving Grain Boundary Networks TEP Pungponhavoan
2023 Artificial Intelligence and Digital Twins in Metallurgy - Modeling Front-Tracking of Evolving Interface Networks. YOUNES Eliane
2023 High-Fidelity Level-Set Finite-Element Modeling of Polycrystalline Microstructure Evolution LI Tianchi
2023 Evolution of the microstructure during forging of VDM® 780 alloy: mean-field modeling of subsolvus recrystallization and effect of chemical composition on kinetics. PASCUAL GOCE Fernando
2022 Metallurgical evolutions of Zr-Nb alloys during hot deformation processes: understanding mechanisms and simulations. HAHN Pauline
2022 Evolution of the microstructure during forging of VDM® 780 alloy: mean-field modeling of subsolvus recrystallization and effect of chemical composition on kinetics LASNE Caitline
2022 The evolution of microstructures in dual-phase titanium alloys after hot deformation BLOSSE Antoine
2021 Grain size homogeneity control in Fe286-based superalloy DA FONSECA ALVARENGA Artur
2021 Formation of twins in the microstructures of nickel-based superalloys: mechanisms and numerical simulation KAVEGE Roméo
2021 Heterogeneous grain growth in the iron-based superalloy A-286 POTENCIANO CARPINTERO Antonio
2021 HPC and Digital Twins for Metallurgy - 3D Modeling of Interface Network Evolution DELPLACE Elie
2021 The evolution of the microstructure of the nickel-based superalloy γ-γ' René 65 during its forming for turbine disk manufacturing ORLACCHIO Federico
2021 Ultrasonic wave propagation simulation in polycrystalline materials TALATIZI ADRIEN
2020 Development of a full-field numerical framework based on the level-set approach to simulate diffusive solid-state phase transformation in polycrystalline metallic materials CHANDRAPPA Nitish
2020 Extension of a mean-field dynamic discontinuous recrystallization model to high strain rates in 316L steel. ROTH Marion
2020 Characterization and 3D simulation of grain growth in a polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy JAIME Franco
2019 Characterization and modeling of the recrystallization of Zircaloy-4 during hot forming GRAND Victor
2018 Recrystallization of 6016 alloys during and after hot rolling OUHIBA Saoussen
2018 Generation and homogenization of Representative Volume Elements (RVEs) for discontinuous fiber-reinforced composites: towards a better understanding of local deformation and damage mechanisms NAIT ABDELAZIZ Yacine
2018 Grain growth under the influence of the Smith-Zener pinning phenomenon with evolution of second-phase particles: a multi-scale approach and application to nickel-based superalloys ALVARADO VARGAS Karen
2018 Towards an accurate description of grain boundary mobility and energy for their implementation in a finite element model of recrystallization and grain growth mechanisms MURGAS PORTILLA Brayan David
2017 Finite element simulation, at the microstructure scale, of homogeneous diffusion welding: grain boundary crossing of the interface VEDIE Luc
2017 Grain size limit prediction after grain growth in the presence of a complex gamma prime precipitate distribution in a nickel-based superalloy. QUERE Romane
2017 New approach for 3D polycrystalline-scale modeling of grains and phases during solid-state transformations PHAM Chau Thuy
2017 Advances in efficient modeling of massively multi-domain problems with applications to microstructure evolution FLOREZ Sebastian
2017 Model Reduction applied to interfacial flows TEYOU TCHUIENKAM Patrick Lionnel
2017 Full-field modeling of discontinuous dynamic recrystallization in a CPFEM framework RUIZ SARRAZOLA David
2016 Towards full-field modeling and simulation of thermal twins using the Level Set Finite Element method - applications to nickel-based superalloys. FAUSTY Julien
2015 Influence of processing on precipitation hardening kinetics in nickel-based superalloys Inconel® 625 and AD730™ SERET Anthony
2015 3D full-field and mean-field modeling of dynamic and post-dynamic recrystallization – Application to 304L steel MAIRE Ludovic
2015 Numerical study of ductile damage micromecanisms in heterogeneous microstructures TREJO NAVAS Victor