On February the 2nd, I started a position as ESR in the company Gooch and Housego within the frame of the Marie Curie research program GraWiToN. As a just graduated French student, I left to set up in the United Kingdom where the largest part of my project will be led (between Glasgow and Ilminster).

I seized the opportunity to join an international environment to become qualified to work with foreign actors, which I think is a key nowadays in the research area. Besides, joining a private company during this PhD enables me to discover the research activity outside of the academic environment that I have known until there. The program also offers several trainings through which I hope to widen both my knowledge and my network (both social and professional). From the discussions and interactions with the other actors, I am looking forward to build a strong basis of knowledge and skills that will go further than my own work and will legitimate my place in this field of research later on. Last but not least, the program is well funded which will contribute to the comfort of the ESRs in all-day life during these three years.

The subject of my own project is the adhesive free bonding of exotic materials. The purpose is to develop silicate bonds for new ranges of materials that are used in various technologies, and especially in laser and detection devices. The idea is to be able to strongly stick the pieces without using a third corpse by a process of hydration and dehydration (see below).

In order to get satisfying bonds, the samples are required to go through long and strict processes of shaping and cleaning that can be led in the premises of the company. These two first weeks of work have then been dedicated to get familiar with the processes by some trainings and to meet the different teams and departments I will work with. Time was also taken to read the previous works led by N. Beveridge on the topic and to plan the immediate first steps of the research plan. Within the next weeks, trainings are planned in the University of Glasgow to get the required theoretical knowledge about hydroxide bonds and to realise the first try outs.
On the whole, I have very positive feelings about the experience I am about to live with an already strong intuition I won’t be disappointed.