POSINAM · PORE SPACE INVESTIGATION IN NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL MATERIALS

This program aims to associate competences on: • petrographic knowledge of rocks, cements, soils… (HYDRASA, Poitiers, France) ; this is supported by the control of appropriate techniques like X-ray diffractometry, Scanning electron microscopy equipped with EDS system, X-ray microtomography among other techniques allowing petrographic investigations from micrometric to centimetric scale. • characterization of heterogeneous spatial porosities of these materials using impregnation technique with a 14C- or 3H PolyMethylMethAcrylate (PMMA) resin (HYRL, Helsinki, Finlande) ; The method includes impregnation of matrices with unviscous methylmethacrylate MMA (liquid), irradiation polymerisation and autoradiographic detection of the sawn surfaces. The porosity can be analysed quantitatively using subsequent image analyses techniques • providing service for industry needing 3D models of their materials (SME ERM, Poitiers, France). The fulfilment of the POSINAM project requires the transfer of knowledge from public centres (HYDRASA and HYRL) to private one (SME ERM) in order to build a technical plate-form devoted to the integration of the methodology leading to the production of 3D models.