Novel Materials and Plastics

Research in new materials, and especially polymers, have created an emerging class of new materials known as intelligent or smart polymers, enabling new applications. Sartorius aims at identifying within these dynamic and wriggling innovations the ones that would fit for the next generation of single-use films, plastics, polymers and components for life sciences and biopharma. Our goal is not to replace existing proven materials for existing applications but to enable new functionalities that would not be possible without these new materials.

Our non-exhaustive domain of interests includes self-healing materials whose properties after damage are partially restored without human intervention and responsive materials and stimuli-responsive materials that react, sense, and respond to an external condition in a predetermined shape. Additionally, we are sensitive to nature-inspired solutions in our research approach. Our program also covers biomimetic materials (which follow a design motif derived from nature), new biosourced polymers (which are derived from biomass) and biodegradable polymers (which can be decomposed by the action of a living organism). These developments are functionality driven and we take specific care of the use and origin of these materials in the global context of the Sartorius sustainability strategy.