Euro Fed Lipid Oleochemistry Conference; From Oils and Fats to Polymeric Materials: Innovations and Applications

This symposium brings together leading academic and industrial experts working at the forefront of bio-based polymers, surfactants, emulsions, and sustainable materials, who will present recent advances in the design, synthesis and functionalisation of renewable building blocks, with a particular emphasis on lipids and biobased amphiphiles as platforms for high-performance materials.

Key take-aways for delegates:

Explore cutting-edge developments in bio-based polymers and sustainable materials
Understand how lipids are used as building blocks for high-performance applications
Discover innovations in surfactants, emulsions and functional materials
Learn about advances in design, synthesis and material performance
Gain insight into the future of bio-based and circular material solutions

22 September 2026 - Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This symposium of the EFL Conference brings together leading academic and industrial experts working at the forefront of bio-based polymers, surfactants, emulsions, and sustainable materials. Across Europe, the USA, and Africa, the invited speakers will present recent advances in the design, synthesis, and functionalization of renewable building blocks, with a particular emphasis on lipids and biobased amphiphiles as platforms for high-performance materials. The program highlights complementary perspectives ranging from fundamental polymer chemistry and colloidal systems to applied developments in coatings, formulation science, and industrial applications. Overall, the symposium aims to foster cross-disciplinary exchanges between academia and industry to accelerate innovation in sustainable soft matter and functional bio-based materials.

08:45
Introduction and Welcome
Chairs: Dr. Sylvain CAILLOL, ICGM Montpellier, France and Prof. Andriy VORONOV, NDSU Fargo, USA

Euro Fed Lipid Introduction

09:00-09:30
From biomass to vitrimers: progress towards more sustainable polymer networks
Prof. Audrey LLEVOT, Bordeaux University, CNRS, Bordeaux INP, LCPO

09:30-10:00
Phenolic lipid-derived vitrimers for additive manufacturing
Prof. Sara DALLE VACCHE, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

10:00-10:30
Rhodium-Catalyzed Reductive Hydroformylation of Oleochemicals: A Homogeneous Catalysis Route to Polyols and Their Applications
Prof. Sebastien TILLOY, Univ. Artois, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Univ. Lille, UMR 8181, Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS), Lens, France

10:30-11:00
COFFEE BREAK

11:00-11:30
Natural Oils and Carbon Dioxide: An eco-friendly Pathway to Non-Isocyanate Polyurethane foams and coatings
Dr. Lourdes IRUSTA MARITXALAR, POLYMAT and Department of Polymers and Advanced Materials: Physics, Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.

11:30-12:00
Upcycling Waste Streams from Vegetable Oil Processing into Bio-based Materials: A Circular Bioeconomy Approach
Youssef Habibi, Sustainable Materials Research Center (SUSMAT-RC), College of Chemical Sciences and Engineering (CCSE), University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), Benguerir, Morocco

12:00-12:30
Esters of PEG, PTMEG and Polyglycerol: the challenge of their use in cosmetics
Dr. Jean-David RODIER, R&D Director, Gattefossé SAS, Lyon France

14:00-14:30
Prof. Sergejs GAIDUKOVS, Riga Technical university, Latvia

14:30-15:00
Functionalisation of oils and fatty acids: towards more environmentally friendly additives or monomers in plastics
Dr. Claire NEGRELL, Research Engineer CNRS - Institute Charles Gerhardt, Montpellier, France

15:00-15:30
Filters used in the Oleochemical and biodiesel industry and batch filtration challenges
Dr. Bart SCHOLTEN, Group Business Development Manager - Envirogen Technologies, The Netherlands

15:30-16:00
COFFEE BREAK

16:00-16:30 Multifunctional behaviour of co-surfactants in the mini-emulsion copolymerisation of plant-oil-based acrylic monomers and styrene
Dr Larisa TSARKOVA, Assistant Professor, University of Duisburg-Essen and German Textile Research Centre North West, Krefeld, Germany
Co-authors: Zoriana Demchuk*, Andriy Voronov*, Jochen S. Gutmann
*Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University,Fargo, ND, USA

16:30-17:00
Development and functionalization of vegetable oils for the plasticization and crosslinking reactions of elastomers
Dr Veronique BOUNOR LEGARE, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSA Lyon, Université Jean Monnet, CNRS UMR 5223, Ingénierie des Matériaux Polymères, Villeurbanne, France