Morand Lambla Award, international recognition to a Frederick faculty member

It is Ernesto Di Maio, professor of Materials Science and Technology at the Federico II University , the winner of the international "Morand Lambla Award" for 2021, the prestigious scientific award given by the Polymer Processing Society, an International Association of Scientists and Technicians in the field of Polymer Science and Technology, aimed at researchers under 45.

The award is given for high scientific achievements and the full development of the potential for innovation and creativity expressed in research on sustainable polymer foams, achieved through pioneering work over years of research.

Professor Di Maio's research on polymeric foams, also known as sponges or foamed materials, has led to the development of biodegradable foams for food packaging, micro-tanksfor controlled drug release, a hybrid material for thermal insulation of buildings, and gradient foams with which new recyclable devices for impact protection are being developed.

Foams (in English, foam; in French, mousse) incorporate microscopic air bubbles to give a foamy, airy texture, much like dessert. A very common example is polystyrene, nothing more than a foam, a mousse, of polystyrene. The same material from which the hated disposable cups are made, becomes, when foamed, extraordinary for insulating us from cold, noise, or defending our products and our bodies from impacts (think delicate electronics or helmets).

"The recognition is also to the research team, the young scientists and students of the"foamlab," the laboratory where we develop new foams, new disruptive technologies, always aiming for sustainable innovation," Di Maio explains."This cultural, scientific and technological ferment where innovation and creativity meet was born with the founding of the school on Polymers, promoted by the eminent scientists, Professors Luigi Nicolais and Giovanni Astarita, who in the 1980s started the research programs in the Science and Technology of Polymers and Transport Phenomena at the University of Naples Federico II.The richness and history of the Athenaeum and our bright, enthusiastic, creative and curious young people constitute the fertile ground for quality research and innovation and make our Athenaeum a pole of excellence at the international level."

The award was presented by Professor Jean-François Agassant, Head of the Material and Mechanical Engineering Department at MINES ParisTech and head of MINES ParisTech, a luminary in the subject of Principles of Polymeric Materials Transformation.