Nowadays, plastic accumulation in landfill rivers and oceans is an important environmental issue. For that reason, plastic recycling is a key factor to reduce ecological impact that can contribute towards a circular economy approach where recycled plastic and other products of plastic degradation may be used as source of new materials that can be incorporated into the value chain. In this context, plastic can be degraded by employing biochemistry or by more classical chemical routes, both methods are being developed within INAM.
An interesting strategy proposes the use of this mirocorganisms enzymes as a biotechnological tool to degrade plastic in control conditions and even to improve the enzymatic ability. In our project we are using two bacterial enzymes to degrade polyethylene terephthalate (PET) obtaining as products terephthalate and ethylene glycol.
Alternatively, plastic recycling is carried out combining solvolysis with chemical depolymerization and electrochemical valorization of degradation products. The scope of products include several polycondensation plastics (PET, polyamides, polyurethanes,..).

Transdermal drug delivery is an effective way for the control and localised release of drugs. This method is a new way for giving medicines and present advantages when is compared with conventional administration routes. Moreover, these new dermatologic gels are high add-value products due to their special properties as medicine.
For example, naproxen is one of the most common used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that is used for the treatment of inflamed skin tissues or pain in bones, ligaments or tendons. But the ingestion of naproxen present secondary effects as gastric damage that can be minimised with the topic application over a localised zone.
For that reason, one of INAM’s lines focus on industry transference is oriented to get hydrogels that allow the transdermal drugs delivery.

In collaboration with Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Cerámica (IUTC), INAM is applying innovative ceramics for the development of electronic and optoelectronic devices. These innovative ceramics present good conductive electric properties. Ceramic pieces of 10 cm x 10 cm have been obtaining with low electric resistivity, and moreover, their compatibility with frits have been evaluated. The frits on the surface can perform as a protective and isolating cover for the conductive ceramic.
Furthermore, the application of these materials employing ink injection technology (inkjet) is studying too. These new applications would add new possibilities for the innovative ceramic materials.