- Synthesis and characterization of new polymers,
mainly polyesters and polyamides,homopolymers and
copolymers: the synthesis is often focused on the
exploitation of natural monomers or monomers derived from renewable
resources, waste and recycling of other polymers. Moreover,
chemical modifications of polymeric chains are
carried out in order to introduce functionalites
for specific applications. Thermal, mechanical,
structural, morphological and barrier properties are
studied. Relationships between chemical structure,
composition and stereochemistry and physical-mechanical
properties, biodegradability and photo ageing are
studied. The new materials have applications in different fields,
such as coating, packaging and biomedical.
- Preparation and characterization of polymeric blends,
composites and nanocomposites: the materials are prepared
by melt mxing, extrusion, compression moulding or polymerization in
situ. The reaserch is focused on composites containing vegetable
fibers and nanocomposites containing clay. The thermal and
mechanical characterization of the new materials enable us to
correlate the chemical characteristics of the filler and its
dispersion inside the polymeric matrix with the final performances
of the material.
- Optimizazion of formulations for
industrial applications: according to the
requests of final performances of a polymeric material,
formulations are studied and optimized
- End-of.life of plastics: eco-design of polymers for their biodegradability/reciclability/upcycling
-Exploitation of agro-waste and agro-industrial by-products to obtain new monomers, polymers and biocomposites for applications in packaging and agricultural sector.
