Programme – Blended Intensive Program

The programme contains of 3 parts:

Start of this part is Tuesday 14 February 2023.

Introduction to polymer science: the idea is that the students know how polymers are synthesized, and what their main structure-property relations are. We will tackle this by:
- Several screencasts; to be found online (example);
- Test regarding the content of the screencasts
Startup of the projects – in international teams:
- Design a circular value chain for a specific polymer product;
- Include analytical component to the study by one of the students at his/her home institution, according to the expertise of the participating group.

Start of this part is Sunday 12 March 2023.

Sunday, 12 March 2023

Time	What	Where
Evening (exact time tba)	Welcome reception	UAntwerp

Monday, 13 March 2023 – Defining the problem of polymer circularity

Time	What	Who	Where
8.30 – 9 a.m.	Arrival		UAntwerp
9 – 9.30 a.m.	Welcome and introduction		UAntwerp
9.30 – 10.30 a.m.	Synthesis of polyolefins	Anton Ginzburg (KU Leuven)	UAntwerp
10.30 – 11 a.m.	Coffee break
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.	Synthesis of heteropolymers	Katarzyna Smolinska-Kempisty (PWR)	UAntwerp
12 – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 – 2.30 p.m.	Overall ecological balance of Bio-PE	Thomas Rödel (HS Merseburg)	UAntwerp
2.30 – 3 p.m.	The boundaries of circularity	Pieter Billen (UAntwerp)	UAntwerp
3 – 3.30 p.m.	Coffee break
3.30 – 4.30 p.m.	Keynote lecture: Marine litter	Michelle Portman (Technion, Israel)	UAntwerp
7 – … p.m.	Social activity

Tuesday, 14 March 2023 – Plastic waste of all sorts

Time	What	Who	Where
9 – 10 a.m.	MFA of plastics	Fabiola Vilaseca (UdG)	UAntwerp
10 – 11 a.m.	Characterisation of plastic waste	Murthy Dharmapura (Manipal AHE)	UAntwerp
11 – 11.30 a.m.	Coffee break
11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.	Sorting and refining	Steven de Meester (UGent)	UAntwerp
12.30 – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 – 2.15 p.m.	Mechanical recycling 1	Marc Delgado-Aguilar (UdG)	UAntwerp
2.15 – 3 p.m.	Mechanical recycling 2	Frederik Desplentere (KU Leuven)	UAntwerp
3 – 3.30 p.m.	Coffee break
3.30 – 4.30 p.m.	Presentation of projects part 1 Feedback meeting with project supervisor(s)		UAntwerp

Wednesday, 15 March 2023 – Molecular carbon cycles

Time	What	Who	Where
9 – 10 a.m.	Introduction to chemical recycling	Christophe Vande Velde (UAntwerp)	UAntwerp
10 – 11 a.m.	Chemical recycling of polyolefins	Florence Vermeire (KU Leuven)	UAntwerp
11 – 11.30 a.m.	Coffee break
11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.	Chemical recycling of heteropolymeres	Yoshi Mariën (UGent)	UAntwerp
12.30 – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 – 2.15 p.m.	Biobased polymers 1	Anna Jakubiak-Marcinkowska (PWR)	UAntwerp
2.15 – 3 p.m.	Biobased polymers 2	José Alberto Méndez (UdG)	UAntwerp
3 – 3.30 p.m.	Coffee break
3.30 – 4.30 p.m.	Keynote lecture	Steven Peleman (Triple Helix, Belgium)	UAntwerp

Thursday, 16 March 2023 – Design for circularity and for energy

Time	What	Who	Where
9 – 10 a.m.	Composites for energy savings	Puria Esfandiari (ISEP)	UAntwerp
10 – 11 a.m.	Recycling of composites	João Francisco Silva (ISEP)	UAntwerp
11 – 11.30 a.m.	Coffee break
11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.	Circular product design	Philippe Nimmegeers (UAntwerp)	UAntwerp
12.30 – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 – 5 p.m.	Technical visit: Plastic waste sorting plant

Friday, 17 March 2023 – Circular policies and closing

Time	What	Who	Where
9 – 10 a.m.	LCA of plastics	Sabrina Spatari (Technion, Israel)	UAntwerp
10 – 11 a.m.	Circularity policies	Gwenny Thomassen (UAntwerp/UGent)	UAntwerp
11 – 11.30 a.m.	Coffee break
11.30 a.m. – 12.30 p.m.	Design from recycling	Els Du Bois (UAntwerp)	UAntwerp
12.30 – 1.30 p.m.	Lunch
1.30 – 2.15 p.m.	Recycled materials in civil applications	Grace Hsuan (Drexel U, USA)	UAntwerp
2.15 – 3 p.m.	Quiz		UAntwerp
3 – 3.45 p.m.	Closing speeches and feedback		UAntwerp

Start of this part is Monday 30 March 2023.

Important deadlines: