Le lundi 29 septembre 2025,  Seyedeh Maliheh RAZAVI ESFALI présentera l'examen en vue de l’obtention du grade académique de Docteur en Sciences (Collège de doctorat en Chimie) sous la direction de Christophe DETREMBLEUR et Haritz SARDON (Co-tutelle avec l’Universidad Del Pais Vasco).

Cette épreuve consistera en la défense publique d’une dissertation intitulée :

« Non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) recycling and upcycling ».

Le Jury sera composé de :

M. L. QUINTON (Président), Mme et MM. S. DE MEESTER (UGent), C. DETREMBLEUR (Promoteur), B. GRIGNARD, L. IRUSTA (Universidad Del Pais Vasco) (Secrétaire), H. SARDON (Universidad Del Pais Vasco) (Promoteur), Z. TOMOVIC (Eindhoven University of Technology).

Lien Teams

Summary

This thesis, carried out within the NIPU-EJD European project, explores how to make polyurethanes- one of the most widely used plastics- safer and more sustainable. Traditional production relies on toxic isocyanates and offers few options for recycling, leading to growing environmental concerns. In this work, new methods were developed to create high-performance non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) directly from waste, including an innovative process that allows foams to be broken down and rebuilt into new materials without losing their quality. To ensure these solutions are truly sustainable, the research also included a full life-cycle assessment, which guided improvements that reduced the environmental footprint of the recycling process. Together, these results show that it is possible to design plastics for circular use, combining scientific innovation with tangible benefits for society and the environment.