EPO - Outstanding inventors from Australia, Austria, China, France, Japan, the Netherlands and Switzerland honoured with the European Inventor Award (Paris/Munich, 11 June 2015)
Research
Research
Ludwik Leibler (France) was honoured for the invention of vitrimers: a new class of plastics which has the potential to stem the mountains of plastic waste. The material can be repaired easily and is completely recyclable. In the solid state the new glass-like plastic is stable, but when heated it can be repeatedly shaped and turned into complex objects by welding. Vitrimers therefore offer a lightweight and robust alternative to glass or metals, making them suitable for use in aircraft and vehicle manufacturing, and in the electronics, construction and sports industries. Further information can be found here.