Filippo Biagi is currently a PhD student at the Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering (DICAM) of the University of Bologna. His research focuses on advanced polymer recycling processes, with particular attention to selective dissolution, rebonding, triboelectric separation, and end‑of‑life optimization of complex multilayer products. His main interests include the recycling of sports equipment, footwear, polymeric foams, and technical multilayer materials.
Education
He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Energy Engineering from the University of Bologna (2018). He later earned a Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering from the Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (2021), including an Erasmus period at the Universidade de Aveiro.
His Master’s thesis focused on the development of an innovative recycling process for sports helmets through selective dissolution and triboelectric separation.
Research and Professional Experience
Since 2023 he has been a PhD student at DICAM, University of Bologna, where he works on the development of recycling processes based on selective dissolution and life cycle assessment (LCA), as well as on recovery processes for complex sports equipment such as helmets, ski boots, gloves, and footwear through techniques including rebonding, triboelectric separation, and selective dissolution.
From June 2023 to November 2023 he worked as a Research Fellow at DICAM, focusing on the development and optimization of recycling processes for end‑of‑life footwear through alkaline hydrolysis.
From 2022 to 2023 he held a Research Fellowship at the Department of Engineering “Enzo Ferrari” of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where he contributed to the VIVI PLASTIC FREE project, dedicated to the design and development of bioplastics obtained from winery by‑products.
From 2021 to 2022 he worked at ATK Bindings (Fiorano Modenese), carrying out quality control on components, functional testing on ski bindings, as well as design and 3D prototyping through resin and FDM printing techniques.
Publications
He is author and co‑author of scientific articles on topics related to the recycling of thermoplastic polyurethanes, polymeric foams, AIR‑LAY processes, rebonding techniques, and the development of biocomposites derived from winemaking by‑products.
Patents
He is inventor or co‑inventor of patents concerning:
– methods for the recycling of sports helmets;
– processes for the recycling of multilayer winter sports equipment.
Participation in Projects and Conferences
He has participated in European and industrial projects, including:
– LIFE RESKIBOOT: recycling systems for ski boots;
– LIFE IMPACTO: selective dissolution recycling of motorcycle helmets;
– LIFE RESHOES: recycling process of end-of-life shoes and production scraps to obtain secondary raw materials.
He has presented his research findings at national and international conferences, contributing with oral presentations and posters on polymer recycling, biocomposites, and advanced recovery processes.
Other Activities
He contributes to the co‑supervision and mentoring of Master’s and PhD students.
