Pierre-Etienne Bourban

EPFL STI DLL-STI
MED 3 1019 (Bâtiment MED)
Station 9
1015 Lausanne

EPFL STI DLL-STI
MED 3 1019 (Bâtiment MED)
Station 9
CH-1015 Lausanne

EPFL STI DLL-STI
MED 3 1019 (Bâtiment MED)
Station 9
CH-1015 Lausanne

EPFL STI IMX LPAC
MXG 139 (Bâtiment MXG)
Station 12
1015 Lausanne

Expertise

Elaboration and mechanics of polymer composites.
Cellular biocomposites.
Biodegradable and resorbable composites.
Anisotropic materials
Discovery learning :
DLL-Engineering, DLL-Materials and Bioengineering

Mission

Research
Processing and properties of composite materials.
Polymers and biocomposites for regenerative medicine and biomed applications.
Cellular materials and hydrogels.
Bio-based degradable composites for packaging and engineering applications.
Natural fibres composites.
Teaching
Discovery Learning Labs in Engineering and Materials Bioengineering
Polymer composites.
Composites technology.
Mechanics of materials.
Introduction to materials.
Materials for sport (AISTS)
IP and tech transfer
Patents on Integrated processing, Cellular gradient composites and Composite hydrogels.Manufacturing of porous biocomposites for implants
Background
1990 Ingénieur en science des matériaux
1993 PhD in materials science
Activities
1993-1994 Research at the Center for Composite Materials, University of Delaware, USA (ccm.udel.edu), SNSF grant
Since 1994 Research and teaching at EPFL, Composites, (LTC, LPAC)
1995-1999 Coordination Swiss Priority Program on Materials research: 2.2: Composites
Since 1998 Biocomposites
2004-2009 Direction of the EPFL Transdisciplinary programme in Sport and Rehabilitation
2005-2008 Member of the EPFL Vice-Presidency for Innovation and Valorisation and direction a.i.EPFL-LTC
Since 2016 Direction Discovery Learning Labs Materials/Bioengineering and Engineering

Previous Research

2025Ph.D.thesis 11345. V. Varanges
2021 Ph.D.thesis 8128, C. Wyss
2018 Ph.D.thesis 8388, M. Marascio
2017 Ph.D thesis 7868, R.Chandran
2016 Ph.D thesis 7061, A.Khoushaby
2014 Ph.D thesis 6275, F.Duc
2012 Ph.D thesis 5495, M.Cuenoud
2012 Ph.D thesis 5499, C.Boissard
2010 Ph.D thesis 4817, A.Borges
2008 Ph.D thesis 4029, M.Buhler
2007 Ph.D thesis 3890, C.Fischer
2004 Ph.D thesis 3121, L.Mathieu
2003 Ph.D thesis 2906, L.Zingraff
2001 Ph.D thesis 2453, A.Luisier
2000 Ph.D thesis 2317, J.E.Zanetto
2000 Ph.D thesis 2154, N.Bernet
1999 Ph.D thesis 2109, O.Rozant
1996 Ph.D thesis 1597, G.Smith

Research

Current Research Fields

Materials design, Biocomposites, Hybrid hydrogels

Teaching & PhD

Past EPFL PhD Students as codirector

Christian Fischer, Manuel Bühler, Ana Borges, Carole Boissard, Matthieu Cuénoud, Fabien Duc, Azadeh Khoushabi, Rajasundar Chandran, Matteo Gregorio Modesto Marascio, Céline Samira Wyss, Vincent Varanges

Courses

CCMX Advanced Course - Instrumented Nanoindentation

MSE-656

This course is intended for current nanoindentation users who want to gain the experience and knowledge required to extract useful data from challenging sample materials. It is also intended for users of conventional indentation methods who wish to add this approach to their portofolio of methods.

Composites technology

MSE-440

The latest developments in processing and the novel generations of organic composites are discussed. Nanocomposites, adaptive composites and biocomposites are presented. Product development, cost analysis and study of new markets are practiced in team work.

Materials engineering II

MSE-215

After Materials engineering I on polymers and metals, the links between processing-structures-properties of ceramics for microtechnology are presented. Hands-on works will allow to process and characterize properties of the 3 types of materials.

Materials mechanics

MSE-205

Mechanics of deformable solids is introduced to determine stresses and strains into various isotropic materials loaded in tension, compression, shear, torsion and bending. Failure criteria and limits of elasticity are discussed. Structures from engineering and biology are provided.

Materials structure

MSE-100

Polymer composites + Laboratory Work

MSE-340

Mechanical and physical properties of anisotropic materials and calculation tools are presented. Constituents, processing techniques and structure-processing-properties relationships are given for different types of organic matrix composites. Applications in transport,sport and energy are discussed.