The Chemical Technology Lab focuses on optimization of productive processes, including the improvement of analytical methods for process and final product control. We work with synthetic polymers and rubber materials, and also in agricultural and farming-derived products. We undertake our projects taking into account the environmental regulations, the quality management systems requirements and the principles of Green Chemistry for processes development.
Our challenge lies on applying the logic of the scientific thinking to the solving of a particular problem inside a production process. For instance, we are currently dealing with the food safety issue and with the quality improvement of a rubber material.

Residues in food products
We develop and improve analytical method for chemical residues in food, according to requirements of official regulation agencies (like SENASA or ANMAT in Argentina). Some examples of this are the analysis of coccidiostats in chicken products and the determination of anthelmintic drugs in cattle. The work also includes traces of contaminants that can be present in food or additives (as phthalates in contact with food), or the presence and extraction of valuable compounds in agricultural waste. These developments follow the Green Chemistry criteria: waste minimization, energy and equipment saving, assay miniaturization and application of chemometrics and statistical tools.

Optimization in rubber compound design
We work on the optimization of synthetic rubber production by means of chemometric methods, and on the characterization of rubber compounds by measuring physical and macromolecular properties. Statistical models based on design of experiments have been developed for the optimization of compounds used in tire production (styrene-butadiene and polybutadiene rubber). On the other hand, we pursue the replacement of ingredients of petrochemical origin in a rubber material, using sustainable sourced materials instead.