From May 30 to June 5, 2026, the 41st International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS-41) was successfully held in Paestum, Italy. Researcher Liangbin Li from the Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center for Advanced Functional Polymer Films at the University of Science and Technology of China was invited to lead the team to attend the conference and deliver an invited lecture, presenting the team’s series of cutting-edge research achievements in the field of in situ characterization of polymer processing.
The International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society is one of the highest-level and most influential academic conferences in the global field of polymer processing. It brings together researchers and engineering experts from universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises around the world. The conference focuses on frontier topics such as the fundamental theories of polymer forming and processing, advanced processing technologies, the industrialization of functional polymer materials, intelligent manufacturing, and green chemical engineering. It serves as a key platform for showcasing the latest scientific breakthroughs, technological innovations, and industrial applications in polymer processing, and for promoting cross-regional and interdisciplinary academic exchanges, research collaboration, and achievement transformation between academia and industry. PPS-41 featured more than one hundred thematic presentations and academic forums on hot topics including green processing of polymer materials, intelligent forming, material structure–property design, and data-driven materials research, providing in-depth discussions on the future development of the field.
In his lecture, Researcher Liangbin Li provided an in-depth analysis of the intrinsic relationships among processing parameters, external field conditions, the multiscale microstructures of polymer materials, and their macroscopic in-service performance. He highlighted the irreplaceable advantages of large-scale scientific facilities in elucidating the complex dynamic mechanisms of polymer processing and in overcoming the limitations of conventional offline characterization techniques. The related research achievements have established a closed-loop mechanistic framework linking “processing technology–microstructure–material properties,” providing core theoretical support and experimental evidence for the customized development of high-performance functional polymer films.
During the conference, the team members engaged in extensive academic discussions with scholars in the field of polymer processing from Europe, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific region on topics such as synchrotron-based in situ experimental methods, external-field characterization in polymer processing, and precise regulation of multiscale structures. By attending plenary lectures and thematic presentations in parallel sessions, the team members further gained insight into the current international research frontiers and latest achievements in polymer processing. Participation in the conference also helped the team further clarify the strengths and limitations of its existing research. In future work, the team will continue to leverage its advantages in in situ studies, optimize the completeness of experimental design and the depth of data analysis and mining, further improve its research system, and enhance the academic and application value of its research.
Researcher Liangbin Li’s team has long relied on two core platforms: the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory of the University of Science and Technology of China and the Anhui Provincial Engineering Research Center for Advanced Functional Polymer Films. The team has been deeply engaged in polymer film processing, synchrotron-based in situ characterization, and intelligent manufacturing of polymer materials. Focusing on key processing technologies and fundamental scientific issues that constrain the development of the polymer film industry, the team adheres to a research philosophy in which fundamental research is oriented toward industrial applications. It has long carried out systematic research on key polymer films in areas such as new displays, new energy, and the automotive industry, and has established a full-chain research system covering characterization with large-scale scientific facilities, fundamental mechanism studies, pilot-scale process scale-up, and industrial transformation.
Moving forward, the team will build on the strengths of major national research platforms, closely align with the strategic needs of the national new materials industry and key industry challenges, and further refine the core scientific issues in the forming and processing of polymer films. First, the team will focus on advancing the coupled development of synchrotron-based in situ characterization devices and industrial film processing equipment, thereby improving the precision of in situ experiments and the capability for standardized data acquisition under complex working conditions. Second, it will further deepen research on artificial intelligence-enabled materials development, promote the integration of machine learning and big data modeling with polymer processing technologies, and build intelligent prediction models linking the microstructures and macroscopic properties of polymer materials. Third, relying on the open sharing policy of large-scale scientific facilities, the team will actively promote high-level international academic collaboration and industry–university–research collaborative innovation, striving to build a globally influential research platform and leading research team with distinctive strengths in in situ characterization of polymer processing, and to provide theoretical support and technical assurance for the independent and controllable development of China’s high-end functional polymer film industry.
