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Christelle Combeaud

Christelle Combeaud

Senior Researcher

Center · CEMEF

Discipline(s)
Process Engineering, Solid Mechanics
Topic(s)
Polymer, Recycling

Keywords

Awards & distinctions

  • PhD Prize from the French Polymer Applications Group (GFP) awarded to Emilie Forestier (2021)

Team

Surfaces et Polymères (S&P)

Biography

Christelle Combeaud is a researcher specializing in the physical and mechanical characterization of polymers in the solid or rubbery state. Her expertise focuses on the stretchability of polymers during forming processes and the development of associated microstructures. She is particularly interested in optimizing industrial processes such as injection-stretch blow molding (ISBM or thermoforming), especially with mechanically recycled polymer materials, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Her work aims to understand deformation-induced crystallization mechanisms, as well as the induced properties (thermal, mechanical, and barrier) for final applications such as food packaging. Her research combines experimental approaches (DSC, DMA, XRD, thermomechanical testing) and numerical modeling, including artificial intelligence methods for real-time optimization of final properties, particularly on recycled polymer materials. Christelle Combeaud is currently leading an industrial chair program, “Cyclades,” lasting 5 years, in collaboration with the technical center for plastics and composites (IPC). The objective of the research program is to understand and address the influence of incorporating recycled raw materials (MPR) on the behavior of polymer or composite materials for final applications such as food packaging, automotive, and aeronautics.

Publication(s)

Projects

  • 2025-2030 CYCLADES Lead Investigator This is a 5-year industrial chair program, in collaboration with the Technical Center for Plastics and Composites (IPC). The objective of the research program is to understand and address the influence of incorporating recycled raw materials (MPR) on the behavior of polymer or composite materials for final applications such as food packaging, automotive, or aeronautics.

Teaching

Experimental Mechanics

Course Director

The course objectives are twofold. First, by drawing on industrial examples, the teaching aims to enable students to understand the challenges of a mechanical testing campaign and to acquire the necessary tools for constructing experimental plans for the mechanical characterization of materials. In this context, starting with a description of standardized tests to identify their limitations, a presentation of original or "non-standard" tests with the best possible instrumentation will be given. To this end, part of the course will be devoted to the study of non-contact thermomechanical measurement methods (infrared thermography and digital image correlation). Second, the course will focus on linking continuum mechanics, thermomechanical behavior equations, and experimental characterization. The concepts of stress and strain calculation will be reviewed to understand the methods for optimizing behavior and damage laws that are to be identified through testing. The in-person activities (29 hours) are structured into plenary sessions (12 hours), mini-projects (in pairs or threes) (15 hours), and project presentations to a jury (30 minutes). The students' personal work (6 hours) includes: Understanding the mini-project, Bibliographic research, Analysis and scientific interpretation of the results obtained, Writing a summary, Preparing an oral presentation.

Research Internship Materials

Lecturer

Cours doctoral "Physique des polymères"

Cours doctoral "Mécanique expérimentale et analyse inverse"

PhD supervision

  • 2025 The impact of using recycled carbon fibers on the mechanical behavior and lifespan of thermoplastic composites GIERUS REICHWALD Luis Guilherme
  • 2025 Optimizing the performance of recycled plastics: understanding and anticipating the evolution of their mechanical properties LEVASSEUR Barthélémy
  • 2025 Polyethylene and additives: composition of plastic, preparation, grinding and impact on health and the environment Véronika Khodyrieva
  • 2021 Impact of contaminants in mechanically recycled PET on the injection - blow molding process of bottles VIORA Laurianne
  • 2020 The effects of multiple mechanical recycling processes on the blow moldability of PET: indicators of material variability SYLVESTRE Nathan
  • 2018 Effets couplés de la température et de la vitesse de déformation sur le comportement mécanique non-linéaire des polymères amorphes. Caractérisation expérimentale et modélisation de la superposition vitesse de déformation/température Carlos Federico
  • 2017 Study of the induced microstructure of PEF, a bio-based polymer, during uniaxial and biaxial drawing above the α transition FORESTIER Emilie
  • 2016 Effets de vitesse et de transcristallinité dans l’analyse de la cristallisation de polyamides 66 d’architectures différentes Elio Lionel Freire