News
#Thesis #LGP2-CTP #3DObjects #TwilightProject
Published on : 06/17/2025
Congratulations to Emilien Fréville, winner of the Innovation PhD Prize as well as the 2025 "Social and Environmental Responsibility" PhD Prize from the University of Grenoble Alpes. Emilien defended his thesis on November 15, 2024, titled "The Use of Twin-Screw Extrusion for Innovative Cellulosic Packaging Produced by Injection and Thermocompression". This thesis is part of the Twilight LGP2-CTP project and proposes a disruptive approach for the production of three-dimensional cellulosic objects, with controlled shrinkage and strong potential for industrial development. Emilien was the national winner of Starthèse, aimed at developing key skills at the doctoral level in the innovation chain and activity creation. He also won the Deep Impact Project Prize (for the INJECTOSE project) at the first edition of the DEEP IMPACT Prize of the Alpine Arc.
Twilight PROJECT: The goal was to develop a bio-based, biodegradable, and recyclable solution within the paper/cardboard industry to replace certain single-use plastic packaging. The adopted strategy was based on the use of cellulose fibers from paper pulp, shaped into functional three-dimensional objects using processes derived from plastics engineering: extrusion, injection, and thermocompression. This technological choice aimed to facilitate the industrial transfer of the developed solutions. One of the major challenges was to make highly concentrated fibrous suspensions injectable. This step required a multi-scale approach, at the interface between the physicochemistry of the suspensions and process engineering. In response to the challenges encountered in molding complex shapes—mainly related to shrinkage during drying—a disruptive approach was implemented: virgin, untreated cellulose fibers were mixed with a lubricating polymer (in amounts less than 10%) directly in the extruder. The resulting material was then injected into a mold and dried, allowing the production of three-dimensional cellulosic objects with controlled shrinkage and strong potential for industrial development.
Direction / Supervision
Twilight PROJECT: The goal was to develop a bio-based, biodegradable, and recyclable solution within the paper/cardboard industry to replace certain single-use plastic packaging. The adopted strategy was based on the use of cellulose fibers from paper pulp, shaped into functional three-dimensional objects using processes derived from plastics engineering: extrusion, injection, and thermocompression. This technological choice aimed to facilitate the industrial transfer of the developed solutions. One of the major challenges was to make highly concentrated fibrous suspensions injectable. This step required a multi-scale approach, at the interface between the physicochemistry of the suspensions and process engineering. In response to the challenges encountered in molding complex shapes—mainly related to shrinkage during drying—a disruptive approach was implemented: virgin, untreated cellulose fibers were mixed with a lubricating polymer (in amounts less than 10%) directly in the extruder. The resulting material was then injected into a mold and dried, allowing the production of three-dimensional cellulosic objects with controlled shrinkage and strong potential for industrial development.
Direction / Supervision
- Julien BRAS, Prof. (Grenoble INP - Pagora, UGA / LGP2)
- Evelyne MAURET, Prof. (Grenoble INP - Pagora, UGA / LGP2)
- Elisa ZENO, Ing. Rech. (Centre Technique du Papier, Grenoble)