Dra. Itxaso Calafel
(<strong>Assistant Professor, Research group:</strong> Rheology)
Biografía
Itxaso Calafel earned his BS and PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Basque Country. She has been working in various lines of research since 1994, all of them related to biodegradable semi-crystalline polymers and thermosetting materials, in the Thermal Analysis Laboratory of the Department of Polymer Science and Technology of Faculty of Chemistry in San Sebastian. In 1997 she joined the group of Rheology and POLYMAT. She has participated in various academia and industrial projects. Currently she is developing a research project related to PVC in the context of university-industry collaboration.
Investigación
Her current research focuses on the development of new formulations based on vinyl chloride homopolymers and copolymers thereof with other monomers. The aim of this project is to develop an effective way of obtaining environmentally friendly made-tailored materials according to the new environmental requirements. One of the new lines of this project is focused on the application of these new PVC-based copolymers in the latest technologies, such as 3D printing, basing its potential application on rheological studies. Nevertheless, her previous researches were based on the modification of thermosetting materials such as epoxy resins, with semi-crystalline thermoplastics. Thermoplastics/thermosetting polymer blends, exhibiting both phase separation and crystallization, are of particular interest since their morphology and properties can be influenced by both processes.
Publicaciones
M. Itxaso Calafel has published 12 articles in international journals and contributed with posters and oral communications in more than 11 scientific conferences.