Tropes

ec.europa.eu 2015 000053.txt

#Building new plastics with smart software Chemists can help create a wide range of plastics from polymers, which are large molecule strings made of repeated sub-units. When chemists come up with a new idea for a plastic, it can sometimes involve a trial-and-error process of mixing elements in the laboratory. To assist with this, the European union (EU)- funded NANOPOLY research fellows have developed a new software tool to model the polymer molecules on a nanoscale. The innovation developed by the project team could pave the way for the tailoring of polymers to specific industry needs. To create the software tool the researchers combined the strengths of various disciplines (from applied mathematics and software engineering to chemistry. The project started when Christof Schütte, NANOPOLY project coordinator and professor at the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, was talking to researchers from chemical company BASF and software company Cit about the need for modern software tools to design plastics from polymers. he new software tool helps us predict how different production processes affect the nanostructure of the polymers, says Schütte. his is expected to support the European polymer industry innovate their products and lead to the creation of a new generation of researchers that are trained in mathematical and software modelling, as well as polymer process design, he adds. his allows us to tailor the production process to the requirements of the polymer molecules and to the resulting polymer material, says Schütte. The innovative software tool was developed by researchers taking part in the EU Marie Curie programme of support for postgraduate fellows. he NANOPOLY project gave them vital training in complementary research fields. The training helped build a mix of competences in mathematical modelling, software engineering, as well as polymer chemistry, explains Schütte. The project has supported already several early stage researchers in their career, with three of them hired for permanent positions by chemical company BASF and five others finding post-doctorate positions. Furthermore one of the experienced researchers has been appointed as an assistant professor at Freie Universität Berlin. nterdisciplinary research is hard work, but it pays off career-wise and intellectually, affirms Schütte. While Europe still plays a major role in polymer processing and product development, large-scale production of commodity polymers is shifting increasingly to other regions of the world. But innovative, specialised commodities, along with smarter production strategies, can help European researchers and companies stay competitive in this field. Project details Project acronym: NANOPOLY Participants: Germany (Coordinator), Portugal, Czech republic, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland Proj. N°238700 Total costs:##2 702 706 EU contribution:##2 702 706 Duration: October 2009-September 201 i

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