The topic of this PhD is the synthesis of "precursors of Cathode Active Materials" (pCAM) for Li-ion batteries (LIB) by the coprecipitation route. pCAM are microscopic powders which's size distribution and morphology is of high importance for the properties of the final LIB, since the performances increase with the density of the powder when it is tapped to pile up its particles as densely as possible. Coprecipitation of pCAM is therefore an important step since the powder's particles' shape is defined during this operation.

Coprecipitation involves many complex mecanisms (nucleation, growth, agglomeration, attrition) which are heavely coupled and sensitive to a wide range of chemistry and hydrodynamic conditions. The aim of this PhD is to develop a model predicting the particles' size distribution, and possibly the particles density for an improved exploration, control and understanding of this critical step. In this context, an experimental study is also conducted with a focus on the impact of hydrodynamics.

As I was working on my final internship at IFPEN before graduating as a chemical and process engineer from CPE Lyon, I had the opportunity to work on this same topic in the scope of chemical thermodynamics and kinetics modeling. This experience, combined with previous experiences in the context of research and developement at CPE Lyon and Evonik Industries lead me to realise that research is what I want to delve into, and this PhD which was proposed during my internship was the perfect opportunity to learn the process of conducting a full research project to then be able to work in this field.

In particular, this PhD is the opportunity for me to widen my competences while further improving my expertise in modeling, simulation and programming, which I have already started acquiring through my previous experiences, but at the cost of not setting foot in a laboratory for almost two years, thus lacking the important understanding of experimental work, especially for the modelling aspects.