Johan Sarazin

After obtaining a DUT in Chemistry in 2002, he joined the Institut Pasteur de Lille in 2005 as a chemical and microbiology technician. In 2007, he began an engineering degree in process engineering at CNAM, which he pursued alongside his professional activity.

In 2013, he completed his engineering thesis at UMET, within the ISP team and the R2Fire group, focusing on the assessment of the fire behaviour of electrical cables. After two years of experience as a Project Manager and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager at Eurofins starting in 2014, he joined the R2Fire laboratory in 2016 as a research engineer, within the ERC Advanced Grant FIREBAR CONCEPT project.

In 2021, he became a researcher at Centrale Lille and obtained a PhD in Materials Chemistry in 2024, focusing on the development of formulations with improved fire behaviour, as well as the design and development of experimental protocols.

His research activities are based on an integrated approach to fire behaviour, at the interface between advanced experimentation, instrumentation, and mechanistic understanding. His work focuses on reaction-to-fire and fire resistance, thermophysical characterization, and the design and instrumentation of experimental test benches.

His research covers a wide range of materials, including thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, coatings, wood, and concrete. It particularly addresses complex and extreme fire scenarios, such as battery fires, hydrogen-related risks, and constrained environments, especially in the aerospace sector.

In this context, he designs and develops experimental test rigs based both on fire standards—across various sectors such as construction, energy, aeronautics, and rail—and on realistic scenarios that are not yet covered by standardization. In parallel, he develops dedicated instrumentation and advanced methodologies, both in situ and post-mortem, enabling a detailed understanding of the mechanisms governing fire behaviour.

This multi-scale and instrumented approach aims to generate fundamental knowledge and key data to support the development of new materials and innovative fire protection systems, addressing current and future safety challenges.

He is a member of the AFNOR P92 committee, dedicated to standards related to reaction-to-fire and fire resistance. Building on his background in safety, he also serves as a safety officer (assistant de prévention) at Centrale Lille, where he actively contributes to risk prevention policies.