About Us

Polymeric materials are without a doubt an essential part of modern society, but these materials are still primarily derived from petroleum-based resources, therefore they have a detrimental effect on the environment.

Governed by the principles of green chemistry, sustainability, and circularity, Step2PolyGreen Project aims to produce fully bio-based, commercially competitive polymeric materials, specifically, unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs).

Unsaturated polyester resins (UPRs) are the most adaptable and industrially important group of thermosetting polymers, making up around three fourths of all thermoset resins used in the production of polymer composite materials.

Unsaturated polyester resins consist of two main components: unsaturated polyesters and reactive diluents. We intend to base these main system components using compounds obtained from renewable resources. Starting with total exclusion of highly volatile styrene, which is commonly used as a reactive diluent, and basing prepolymer formulation on itaconic acid and their derivatives.

Furthermore, we aim to build the bridge between science and industry by upgrading the applicative properties of our UPRs via innovative production of fully green polymer composite materials!

Towards industrialization and commercialization of bio-based UPRs we tend to optimize our technology and apply it in the existing industrial facilities to produce socially useful bio-based products such as speaker housing, kitchen worktops, and furniture pieces...

The implementation of Step2PolyGreen will significantly enhance scientific and 21st century skills of the project team members. Also, through the exploitation of sustainable resources, providing competitive market solutions for bio-based UPRs and reducing environmental pollution, this project contributes to the public interest of the Republic of Serbia as well as the scientific and industrial communities.