Degradable polymers for application in personal care

学生将讲述一次性塑料和微塑料面临的越来越大的压力，消费者越来越多地意识到他们家用产品中的聚合物成分。在快速消费品行业广泛使用的许多合成聚合物通常生物降解性很差，对环境持久性材料的负面PR增加对联合利华来说是一个巨大的挑战。需要替代的聚合物技术，但支持它们创造的许多基本见解并不存在。本项目将研究聚合物的改性及其对性能和性能的影响，特别是对(生物)降解性的兴趣。其目的是生成可应用于配方产品的新聚合物合成的设计规则。

The student will be addressing the mounting pressure on single-use plastics and microplastics, consumers are becoming more aware of the polymer ingredients in their household products. Many of the synthetic polymers widely used in FMCG industry are generally poorly (bio)degradable, and the increase in negative PR towards environmentally persistent materials represents a significant challenge for Unilever. Alternative polymer technologies are needed, but much of the fundamental insight that would support their creation does not exist. This project will investigate polymer modification and its effect on properties and performance, with special interest in (bio)degradability. The aim is to generate design rules that can be applied to synthesis of new polymers for formulated products.