Aimplas

AIMPLAS, Technological Institute of Plastics located in Valencia, is a private, non-profit Association with more than 650 associated companies created in 1990.

AIMPLAS is formed by +170 highly skilled professional, more than 65% with a Masters, Engineering or equivalent degree in Chemistry, polymer engineering, materials engineering or equivalent, including 22 PhD.
AIMPLAS’ fields of work are related to technological research and development on thermoplastic and thermosetting plastic materials & products, its transformation processes and their recyclability and sustainability. AIMPLAS generates new knowledge and technologies that can be transferred to companies in order to help them to increase their effectiveness and competitiveness.

AIMPLAS has a broad expertise in the fields of recycling, compatibilization, reactive extrusion, biopolymers and renewable source materials, special assisted processing technologies and nanocomposites, gained during the last years in the frame of EU and national projects. Nowadays, Nowadays, AIMPLAS has participated in 100 EU projects in FP5, FP6, FP7, LIFE+, CIP-EcoInnovation, H2020, among others, coordinating more 40 of them. In H2020, AIMPLAS is participating in more than 30 projects, coordinating half of them. Outstanding LIFE projects were celebrated at the Green Awards ceremony in Brussels on 30 May 2017, BREAD4PLA – with AIMPLAS as a coordinator – was honored as one of the two most exceptional LIFE projects of the programme’s 25-year history. At National and Regional levels AIMPLAS participates in around 100 projects yearly.
AIMPLAS, as RTO is focused on helping companies in the plastic sector to develop new products and increase their competitiveness through innovation, has more than 20 pilot plants representing the most relevant polymer/plastics/composites production technologies present in the industry nowadays and has state-of-the art test facilities for chemical, optical, morphological, mechanical and physical characterisation. These pilot lines and laboratories are used by many customer’s every year allowing them to test new materials, optimize production processes and launch new products to the market, supported by AIMPLAS technical staff, resulting in more than 5000 assays, 170 technical assessments and 120 training actions to more than 1500 clients per year. AIMPLAS has 10,500 m2 state-of-the-art facilities, including thermoplastics and thermoset pilot plants, analysis and testing laboratories (physical-mechanical, chemical, packaging, automotive and construction) and training areas.
AIMPLAS is member of several international networks and organizations, such as ECP4, AESICOM or BIC and standardization committees (ISO and CEN).

Work Package

WP2 , WP3 , WP4 , WP5, WP6, WP7, WP8 

Team

Sandra Colina

Project Manager

She has a Masters in Project Management from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain) and has English Proficiency having lived and worked in the UK for 3 years and carrying out activities in this language through her whole professional experience. Actual R&D Project Manager at the Plastic Technological Centre (AIMPLAS) since July 2021. but her career is supported by 15 years of experience in Project Management (Administrative management in more than 322 projects at national and regional level in Spain during 2007 and 2022, and more than 31 European projects during 2012 and 2022, 14 of them in European projects within the construction sector) and Dynamization of R & D, project engineering, organizing events and organizational activities and promoting innovation in different sectors (construction, having worked in AIDICO Construction Technological Institute and KERABEN GRUPO SA, health sector among others). She has taken part in European projects (in technical and administrative management) like ECOEFISHENT H2020-GA101036428, NONTOX H2020-GA820895, DESTINY H2020-GA820783, ICEBERG H2020-GA869336, LIGHTCOCE H2020-GA814632, FISSAC H2020-GA642154, DREAM H2020-GA723641, ADNATUR LIFE12 ENV/ES/000265, DAPHNE FP7-GA314636, LIGHT2CAT FP7-GA283062, SAM.SSA FP7-GA296006, NANOMATCH FP7-GA283182, AXIOMA FP7-GA211624, MESSIB FP7-GA211624 among others.

Belén Monje

Main Researcher

Based on her knowledge in organic chemistry acquired inthe synthesis of 3-oxa-guayanolides, she continued her professional career at AIMPLAS from 2003 to 2017 in the field of characterization of polymers, the execution of technical support to companies in the plastics sector as well as in different research lines participating in more than 60 projects as the technical responsable in a revelant number of them. In 2006 she received a Torres Quevedo Fellowship. In 2018 she promoted as responsible for the Synthesis Department of AIMPLAS and now she is the Chemical Technology Group Leader. Among her main research lines, it can be highlighted the development of prostheses and asphalt mixtures that incorporate plastic waste, synthesis of biopolymers from waste, reactive extrusion, enzymatic polymerization, chemical recycling… Examples of projects are: “Biomacromolecules from municipal solid bio-waste fractions and fish waste for high added value applications” (DAFIA) H2020 BIOTEC, ID: 720770-2, “Novel packaging films andtextiles with tailored end of life and performance based on bio-based copolymers and coatings” (BIONTOP) H2020 BBI ID: 837761, “MSW Bioethanol plant waste as feedstock for chemical building blocks” (PERCAL) H2020 BBI ID: 745828… Her teaching activity has been very relevant with more than 60 courses taught and more than 400 teaching hours. She is member of the Technical Committee ofthe AENOR Technical Committee of Normalisation number 53 related to plasticsand rubber and she is expert in REACH Regulation (Reg. No. 1907/2006).

Lodovico-Agostinis

Lodovico Agostinis

Researcher

His research is focused on chitosan and other bio-based extracts for the enhancement of antimicrobial and flame retardant properties in polymer and coating matrices.
Moreover, he has experience in the research of chemical modification of monomers and polymer functionalization to improve biodegradability and development of luminescent markers. In his PhD research he developed and successfully applied new amidation and cross-linker agents for atoxic and metal-free tanning of animal hides.

Lodovico Agostinis has been involved in several R&D projects (European and national level), being highlighted: “Novel packaging films andtextiles with tailored end of life and performance based on bio-basedcopolymers and coatings” (BIONTOP) H2020 BBI ID: 837761; “Innovative value chains from tree & shrub species grown in marginal lands as a source of biomass forbio-based industries” (BEONNAT) H2020 BBI ID: 887917; “sUstainable PLastIcs for the Food and drink packaging indusTry.” (UPLIFT) H2020BIOTE ID: SEP-210659299; “Innovative tools to study the impact and mode of action of micro and nanoplastics on human health:towards a knowledge base for risk assessment” (PLASTICHEAL) H2020SC1 ID: 965196; among others.