The journey continues: Polymer Additives Academy is back with its second session, dedicated entirely to the world of styrenic polymers, with a special focus on insulating foams.
This training event is once again organized by Greenchemicals, in collaboration with SUPSI (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland) and Krauss Maffei Extrusion, and with the support of Composites United.
We’ll explore materials, technologies, regulatory frameworks, and innovation trends, drawing on the contributions of experts from research, industry, and institutions. This will encompass the evolution of XPS foams to low-halogen flame retardants, as well as Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design approaches, recycling strategies, CAM criteria, and more.
A special thanks to the many speakers joining us for this day, and to those who will animate the two live Q&A sessions, creating space for dialogue and exchange.
This time, the session will be held online only, as it coincides with a private event by invitation; however, the agenda is packed with valuable insights and forward-looking perspectives.
📅05/09/2025
🕒 2:00 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.
Register here: https://forms.gle/KHbhrod6Axv2fbv69
Download the program: CLICK HERE
FULL PROGRAMME AND SPEAKERS
01:45 p.m. – Welcome and introduction
02:00 p.m. – Styrenic Polymers: an overview with focus on foams
Alessandra Simonelli, R&D Network and Innovative Platforms–Versalis
BIO
Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and PhD in Polymer Materials Science. More than 20 years of R&D experience at Versalis in the synthesis and the development of new styrenic polymer materials, including flame retardant materials.
She has more than 10 years of experience in styrenic polymer compounds. In recent years, she has also specialized in compounds of other thermoplastic polymers.
Since 2017, she has been involved and then in charge of styrenic polymer recycling projects.
2.20 p.m. – XPS foam production in 2030: challenges, regulations, obstacles, and solutions
Ioannis Kragiopoulos & Anastasia Kragiopoulos – FibrotermicaHellas
Ioannis is a chemical engineer with over 30 years of experience designing and optimizing XPS foam technologies across Europe. Known for pushing boundaries — from post-expansion systems to AI-guided process control — he brings both deep technical knowledge and real-world plant insight.
Anastasia, also a chemical engineer, represents the next generation, already contributing to major process innovation and technical rollouts in the field.
2:40 p.m. Low halogen additive for XPS and X-EPS
Micaela Lorenzi, CEO – Greenchemicals
BIO
Micaela Lorenzi, an Industrial Chemistry graduate from Milan with a specialization in macromolecules and radical polymerization, has over 15 years of experience in flame retardants. Since 2010, she has been CEO and co-owner of Greenchemicals SRL, an Italian company focused on flame retardant formulations and plastic additives. Her career includes work with the U.S. additives supplier Great Lakes, and she now collaborates with leading producers of both brominated and halogen-free flame retardants.
She holds several patents, including a HBCD-free solution for polystyrene, innovative dosing systems for solid flame retardants in liquid form, and a process for recycling PET scraps into clean monomers. Her current work centers on developing halogen-free flame retardants through reactive extrusion, with applications in PET, polyurethane, and electronics.
3:10 p.m. – Safe-and-Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) Flame Retardants for Insulation Foams – the EU PLANETS Project Approach
Carl-Christoph Höhne – Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT
BIO
Dr. Carl-Christoph Höhne has about 12 years of experience in applied research in the field of plastic additives. His work focuses on the synthesis of new additives for plastics and the associated material testing, especially in the field of flame retardants and odor scavengers. He is also active in life cycle assessment for aviation and projects evaluating the EU ‘safe and sustainable by design’ (SSbD framework) to guide the innovation process for chemicals and materials. Currently, he is conducting research within Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, one of the world’s leading organizations for applied research with the mission to act as supporter, guide and driving force for industry. His educational background is Chemistry and he received his PhD from the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg/Germany in the field of flame retardants.
3:30 p.m. – XPS – Foam board Production, Applications, Technology and Trends
Michael Schulz, Sales – KraussMaffei Extrusion
BIO
Michael Schulz has dedicated 37 years to KraussMaffei Extrusion, with 22 of those years focused exclusively on the foam sector. During this time, he has managed the full spectrum of foam‐related activities—up to turnkey project leadership and commissioning.
Since 2018, he serves as Global Sales Manager for foam systems, spearheading international sales strategies, cultivating key customer relationships, and driving market expansion for XPS, E-EPS and other specialty foam lines worldwide.
04:00 p.m. –04:15 p.m. Q&A/break
04:15 p.m. – Polystyrene – processing, market and sustainability of PS
Klaus Terlau, Technical Support Manager –INEOS
Klaus Terlau works for 34 years in Polystyrene, in different functions.
He was part of the quality management team on the Marl site and later on leading the compounding unit for flame-retardant HIPS in Marl until 1998.
Since now 21 years he works as Technical Support Manager for Polystyrene.
In the last 5 years with a strong focus on the recycling activities in polystyrene, he was part of the team in INEOS Styrolution to develop the mechanical recycling solution for the food market together with recycling companies and key customer to close the loop.
Since 2022, he took additional over the technical support for all extrusion application in PS, ABS, ABS-Blends, ASA.
4:35 p.m. – Innovation in plastics recycling: challenges and opportunities
Andrea La Piccirella, Head of Circular & Traditional Compounding – Versalis
BIO
With 20 years of experience in Research & Development at Versalis, Andrea has always been involved in the development of new polymers and their production technologies.
In recent years, he has specialized in the mechanical recycling of thermoplastic materials and in compounding, participating in various projects to develop new specialty materials and innovative technologies in the field of sustainability and decarbonization.
4:55 p.m. – New frontiers for construction: CAM (Minimum Environmental Criteria), EPS and XPS
Marco Piana, Technical Director –AIPE -Italian Association Expanded Polystyrene
BIO
Marco Piana graduated in Engineering at the Politecnico di Torino, and after attending the Master’s degree at the Energetics Department of the Politecnico di Torino in energy saving and acoustic sectors. Marco has collaborated with the application laboratories of CSI (Montedison Group). Later, he became the design responsible for the direction of a manufacturer of food processing plants. Now he is the coordinator of PVC Forum Italia – Centro di Informazione sul PVC. He is a member of the UNI, UNIPLAST, CTI Commissions and CEN, as well as of national committees for thermal insulation, acoustic, fire behavior of materials for civil and industrial purposes. He is an expert at the Ministry of Transport for isothermal vehicles and systems of foodstuffs transportand at the Ministry of the Interior in the fire behavioral material and fire prevention design. He takes part in courses and conferences in Italy and Europe; moreover, he writes specialized technical articles and issues for didactic and formative purposes. He is a designer for innovative components for civil and industrial buildings.
5:15: Q&A – end of the day