The polymer industry is going through one of the most significant periods of change in its history. Driven by new environmental regulations, the development of eco-efficient processes and zero-VOC products has become an absolute necessity. In this field, 2 technologies stand out: Polymerisation in dispersed media and Photopolymerisation. To maintain EU leadership in this sector, PHOTO-EMULSION aims at training a next-generation of 8 Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) who can push towards new eco-friendly polymerisation processes. Our primary strength is a demanding technical knowledge base bringing together, for the first time, all disciplines related to these 2 strategic fields. Secondly, we will broaden traditional doctoral training by targeting transferable and specialized skills sought after by the employers, and learned through innovative methods: tandem ESRs, distance language learning, ESR as itinerant science educator, online courses, ESR-led subproject, highly interactive meetings, and industrial secondments. In research, we will develop a “hybrid” next-generation technology based on thiol-ene photopolymerisation in dispersed media. Advanced manufacturing based on photoreactor promises a wave of high sulfur content dispersed products (films, nanoparticles, porous network). Their outstanding properties open the door to applications responding to current industrial needs such as non-leaching materials, O2 barrier and biobased waterborne coatings, biologically-active particles, hybrid nanosensors and monolithic chromatography column.
PHOTO-EMULSION is a EU-funded Innovative Training Network (ITN) project of the H2020 programme. Led by Institut de Science des Matériaux de Mulhouse in France (Coordinator: Dr. Abraham Chemtob), it involves a high-quality research network including 8 internationally reputed academic institutions, 5 leading companies and 2 non-profit organisations. Balanced & EU-wide, its diversity expresses through the participation of 8 countries (Austria, France, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden & Spain), 50% female scientists-in-charge, and structures supporting gender equality. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 765341 (Project PHOTO-EMULSION, MSCA-ITN-2017).
