Functional Polymeric and Particulate Materials

Polymeric materials are among the most ubiquitous materials in the modern world due to their lightweight nature, low cost and high versatility. These materials, based on polymers combined with a wide range of additives (e.g. particles and nanoparticles, processing aids, curing agents, colorants), are used across various sectors, including mobility, energy, housing and healthcare.

While their widespread use has raised environmental and health concerns, leading to a negative public perception, it has also led to the development of significant regulations (e.g. EU Green Deal).

As a result, polymer research is now focusing on enhancing the sustainability and circularity of this class of materials while striving for greater functionality, responsiveness and improved (re)processability. The goal is to reduce the negative environmental and health impact without compromising performance.
The Functional Polymeric and Particulate Materials research unit addresses a wide spectrum of scientific and industrial challenges, including:

Design of polymeric materials such as thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers, (nano)composites and poly(electrolytes) that incorporate advanced functionality, high performance, enhanced safety and sustainability to serve industrial and societal needs
Valorization of alternative feedstocks (lignocellulosic biomass, waste materials, etc.) to generate monomers, polymers, additives and particles
Development of safe (re)processing and advanced manufacturing technologies, including additive manufacturing, 3D/4D printing and reactive extrusion, to produce new materials and manage their end-of-life efficiently
Generation of the fundamental understanding essential to control the structure, viscoelastic, mechanical and tribological performance and transport behaviour of polymeric materials and (nano)composites through polymer physics, advanced characterization and molecular modelling complemented by machine learning and AI tools.

Objectives

The research unit focuses on the synthesis, formulation and processing of polymers and particles to achieve specific property enhancements and multi-functionality through both experimental and numerical approaches. One material class of interest is the components (e.g. monomers, polymers, additives, particles) used in high-performance polymeric materials, with relevance to the mobility, housing, energy and health sectors.

The unit contributes to national and European innovation ecosystems by securing competitive research funding and engaging in collaborative projects with industry. Its activities are organized around two complementary research groups focused on:

Sustainable polymeric and particulate materials
Responsive polymeric and particulate materials.

Scope of Expertise

To overcome current challenges, the unit brings together expertise in synthetic and polymer chemistry, chemical engineering, polymer physics and modelling, materials science and engineering, and bio-based and natural materials, as well as advanced processing and characterization methodologies. This multidisciplinary approach provides the unit with unique capabilities and the capacity to effectively address a broad range of research topics using a wide variety of modern polymer processing and characterization equipment and facilities.

In the Sustainable Polymeric and Particulate Materials (SPPM) group, focus areas include:

Polymeric materials derived from bio-based and / or secondary feedstocks
Particulate materials derived from bio-based and / or secondary feedstocks
High-performance vitrimers (enabling reshaping, repair, reprocessing and recycling)
Novel approaches to the lifetime extension and reuse of polymeric materials
Properties enhancement via functional additives and high-performance (nano)fillers

In the Responsive Polymeric and Particulate Materials (RPPM) group, focus areas include: