Research lines

The main purpose of our research group is the design and development of new elastomeric materials for advanced applications.

Precisely, the central research areas that we are working on are:

 


Active R+D projects

Enhancing circularity by using renewable monomers and sustainable chemical strategies of polymer upcycling

The next grand challenge for polymer chemistry is to develop materials and processes that can be efficiently recycled directly into their own starting materials, i.e. chemical recycling to monomers (CRM) or to products like crude oil fractions. Polymers produced from recovered monomer feedstocks have no loss of properties; moreover, the process recovers embedded value and mitigates environmental effects. Yet, CRM capability is not sufficient to establish an ideal polymer economy — polymer performance must meet the demands of diverse applications.

Reference: PLEC2021-007793
PI: Juan López Valentín
Link
Reutilización sostenible del caucho de NFVU para la fabricación de neumáticos macizos 

The main objective of this business research project is to increase sustainability in the management of end-of-life tires NFVU through the incorporation of high fractions of rubber powder from these wastes both in rubber compounds and polyurethane compounds for the manufacture of a high performance and high added value product such as solid tires.

Reference EC-22-2021
PI: Juan López Valentín
Link
 
Nuevas metodologías para el reciclado de plásticos y caucho para aplicaciones de alto valor añadido

The main objective of this project is to increase the sustainability of polymeric materials through new methodologies for the chemical recycling of plastic materials and the devulcanization of elastomeric compounds to be incorporated as quality secondary raw materials in different high performance and high added value applications.

Reference PID2020-119047RB-I00
PIs: Juan López Valentín y Ángel Marcos Fernández
Link
Bandas transportadoras Ignífugas, Antiestáticas, Resistentes a los aCeites y compatibles con la normativa Alimentaria (BIARCA)

The main objective of the BIARCA project is the development of a new conveyor belt for food contact, based on white rubber, that can work in environments with explosive atmospheres and that shows resistance to oils. A fundamental part of the work to be carried out in this project is the research and development of a new rubber formulation that meets these specifications. Currently, there is no conveyor belt in the industry that can certify simultaneous compliance with all these properties.

Reference RTC2019-007287-2
PI: Juan López Valentín
Link
Nuevos recubrimientos de poliuretano auto-reparables para piezas de automoción PUrestore

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Reference RTI2018-096636-J-I00
PI: Rodrigo Navarro Crespo
Link
Nuevos recubrimientos auto-reparantes para piezas plásticas de automoción en base a poliuretanos tradicionales y poliuretanos verdes REACTIVE

The main objective is to develop a new range of self-repairing polyurethane coatings, to decorate and protect plastic automotive parts of high aesthetic quality, through the formulation with coumarin derivatives (new molecules) in traditional systems and in alternative systems free of isocyanates (alternative synthetic routes and more environmentally sustainable).

Reference RTC-2016-4887-4
PI: Ángel Marcos Fernández
Link

R+D Projects History