Internship - HYDROXIDE CATALYSIS BONDING (HCB) FOR SPACE OR ASTRONOMY APPLICATIONS W/M

BERTIN TECHNOLOGIES is a European industrial instrumentation group that designs and manufactures measuring, observation and sensing components, equipment and systems for critical and scientific applications.

Join our 1 000 employees to participate in our ambitious development!

With a turnover of €178 million in 2025, we meet the needs of our customers as closely as possible through our locations in France and across Europe (Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia), as well as in the United States and Asia.

Our mission: to respond to the challenges of our world and to participate in the collective effort to create a sustainable industry and European sovereignty for our nations through the security of people and nations, the protection of the environment, the securing of the production of carbon-free energy, and the improvement of scientific knowledge.

As a major player in innovation, Bertin Technologies invites you to take part in a technological adventure that began in 1956. You will express your skills and personality within a flexible, dynamic and ambitious structure that values people and associates them with the success of the company. Whatever your expertise, you will find a stimulating and excellence-oriented working environment with us!

Visit our www.bertin-technologies.com website and subscribe to our LinkedIn pages and our Bertin Technologies YouTube channel to learn more about our latest innovations!

Would you like to put your expertise to work in a high-tech environment and contribute to strategic challenges?

As part of our growth, we are looking for our future HYDROXIDE CATALYSIS BONDING (HCB) FOR SPACE OR ASTRONOMY APPLICATIONS Intern. Within our Electronic department, made up of 25 team members, you will leverage your expertise to support our teams and contribute to the success of our projects.

Bertin Technologies provides equipment and instruments dedicated to harsh environments. Among those environments, space is a tricky one. Vacuum, radiation, launch shocks, satellite vibrations, thermal stress are a few of the constraints a spaceborne system must endure while keeping performances at the optimum. Astronomy is also very demanding, usually less than space from a mechanical point of view but a lot regarding stability, even in a cryogenic environment.

For the past few decades, Bertin Technologies designed, built and qualified pieces of equipment that are successfully operational in orbit or on many of the major telescopes in the world. This relays on many feats, proprietary building blocks and strong know-how. One critical step while manufacturing equipment is the assembly of the different parts it’s made of.

Various techniques are commonly used for such assemblies, among which are the use of UV cured adhesives, optical contacting (like the example above) or hydroxide catalysis bonding (HCB). Each technique has its own pros and cons. For HCB, the main advantages are the high stability of the assembly and its high mechanical strength. Practically, HCB consists in applying a very small amount of an alkaline solution (typically containing a hydroxide catalyst) between two highly polished surfaces.

The solution initiates a chemical reaction at the interface, leading to the formation of a permanent bond. After curing, the joint behaves almost like a monolithic piece of material. Bertin Technologies is able to perform HCB with parts made of fused silica.

This internship aims at better understanding the physical/chemical processes implied in HCB in order to optimize the HCB process on fused silica. The goal is also to adjust the process, if necessary, to apply this technique to other materials such as Zerodur (glass-ceramic material with an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion) or Silicon for instance. Ideally, the adjusted processes shall be applied to samples and tested for stability and mechanical strength.

Required level: Last two years of engineering cycle or master degree

Requested skills:

Technical skills:

·       Chemistry.

·       Physics.

·       Material science.

·       Mechanics.

Appreciated additional skills:

·       Optics.

·       Bonding processes.

Soft skills:

·       Scientific curiosity.

·       Experimental appetence.

·       Autonomy.

·       Sense of synthesis.

·       Strong communication and writing abilities.

Languages: English, reading and written.

Expected results:

·       Bibliographic report on HCB.

·       Process optimization / Experimental protocol definition and application.

·       Data analysis and trend identification.

·       Conclusion on the bonding protocol(s).

·       Final internship report and presentation.

Finally, do you share our essential values of courage, confidence, talent and team spirit?

So don't hesitate any longer and apply with us!

💫 What we can do for you ?

A rich environment in perpetual evolution, a community of enthusiasts evolving in a culture of information sharing.

80% of our employees are proud of our products and find meaning in their daily work, and 75% would recommend Bertin as an employer (ChooseMyCompany 2025 satisfaction survey).

We offer the following benefits:

• Work-life balance: flexible working hours and up to 2 days of remote work per week (depending on role eligibility)

• Learning & development: access to internal training and a dedicated personal development platform

• Employee benefits: a wide range of social activities and subsidies through our Works Council (CSE)

• Health & insurance: comprehensive health insurance and pension plans

• Financial incentives: profit-sharing bonus based on Group performance

Whatever your profile and career goals, you will find a stimulating and excellence-oriented work environment with us!