The Research Group on Materials Technology and Sustainability (MATS) of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Valencia focuses its research activity on the design, development, characterization and validation of technologies for the preparation and functionalization of materials with a multisectoral nature, and with sustainability approach within the concept of circular economy.
The scientific-technical objectives of the MATS group are:
- Develop technologies for obtaining and functionalizing (nano / micro) fibres and polymeric, composite and hybrid films.
- Investigate the correlation between the physicochemical properties of polymeric and hybrid materials and their performance in service conditions.
- Design, operate and optimize devices for process optimization in membrane technology for environmental applications.
- Develop biorefinery processes of lignocellulosic material to obtain functionalized materials.
- Evaluate alternatives for material, chemical, energetic and biological valorization of plastic waste.
- Develop advanced extraction and reaction techniques by means of supercritical fluids or ionic liquids, as a support to purification and polymerization processes.
- Develop encapsulation processes of compounds of interest through sol-gel and spray drying for their subsequent incorporation into polymeric matrices.
The research lines of the MATS group are:
- Design and validation of polymeric and composite materials for membrane technology. Technology for the design of functionalized polymers and composites for the development of flat or fibre format membranes. Control of parameters such as pore size, wettability, chemical affinity, thermal, chemical and mechanical stability.
- Development of polymeric and composite materials with advanced properties for application in containers and packaging. Development of new polymeric materials and compounds with advanced properties: active, smart, biodegradable, recyclable, edible, nanocomposites and biocomposites, for their application in food and pharmaceutical preservation systems.
- Valorization of plastic waste through mechanical, chemical, thermal and biological processes. Development of methodologies and physical-chemical analysis of plastic waste to establish the most appropriate recovery strategies.
- Design and application of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents as reaction media and catalysts. Synthesis of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents on demand as reaction media and / or catalysts. Study of the feasibility of the reaction process. Study of the viability of the solvent recovery process.
- Preparation of materials in supercritical conditions. Obtaining the optimal supercritical operating conditions for the preparation of materials. Modeling and kinetics of the reaction process.
- Modeling and simulation of the transport of properties in polymeric membranes. Development of mathematical models, based on the finite element method (FEM), for the study of the transport of multicomponent matter, coupled or not to the transport of heat energy, through multilayer polymeric structures.
- Development of encapsulation processes. Design of sol-gel and spray drying strategies for the encapsulation of active compounds, enzymes, drugs and other substances of interest, for application in sectors such as packaging, waste management or biomedicine, among others.
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Establishment of biorefinery processes for fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass and extraction of high value-added biomolecules. Design and implementation of industrially scalable methods involving resource-efficient and low environmental impact technological approaches to deconstruct biomass, allowing its integral fractionation into functional molecules and macromolecules.
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Design of biological structures with specific properties from waste biomass for food applications (packaging and food ingredients). Demonstrate and validate the use of lignocellulosic biomass as a raw material to develop bio-based functional products competitive with fossil-based plastics and additives for packaging and barrier coatings and animal-based food ingredients.
Research group members:
- Badia Valiente, José David (Director)
- Cerisuelo Ferriols, Josep Pasqual
- Cháfer Ortega, Amparo
- Gil Castell, Óscar
- Izquierdo Sanchis, Marta
- Martínez Soria, Vicente
- Moriana Torró, Rosana
- Jiménez Robles, Ramón
- Montero Rocca, Félix Eduardo
- Gálvez Subiela, Alejandro
- Gutiérrez Silva, Karen Dayana
- Marco Velasco, Gorka
- Arango Sánchez, Camila
