Center for Plasticulture Engineering (CEP)

• Grant number: 21/05251-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Applied Research Centers Program
• Start date: February 01, 2023
• End date: January 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Agreement: BRASKEM
• Principal Investigator: Caio Gomide Otoni
• Grantee: Caio Gomide Otoni
• Host Institution: Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energético (NIPE). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Campinas
• Company: Braskem S/A
• Company city: Camaçari
• Principal investigators: José Maria Ferreira Jardim da Silveira ; Katharina Eichbaum Esteves ; Lucia Helena Innocentini Mei ; Luís Marangoni Júnior ; Rubens Augusto Camargo Lamparelli ; Simone da Costa Mello ; Telma Teixeira Franco
• Principal investigators: Ademar Benévolo Lugão ; José Baldin Pinheiro ; Stanislav Moshkalev
• Associated researchers: Adriana Novais Martins ; Alexandre Gori Maia ; Ana Clélia Babetto Ferreira ; Anderson Maia ; Andres da Silva ; Antonio Pires de Camargo ; Ariovaldo José da Silva ; Augusto Teruo Morita ; Bruna de Souza Moraes ; Carlos Armenio Khatounian ; Carolina da Silveira Bueno ; Celia Maria Doria Frasca Scorvo ; Cláudio Ferreira Dias ; Daiana Kotra Deda Nogueira ; Daniel Albiero ; Edgar Fernando de Luca ; Eduardo Gomes Sanches ; Eduardo Rodrigues de Lima ; Eliane Aparecida Benato Rodrigues da Silva ; Fabrício Rossi ; Fernando Alves de Azevedo ; Fernando André Salles ; Fernando Aparecido Sigoli ; Filipe Pereira Giardini Bonfim ; Geraldo Guilherme José Eysink ; Gianmarco Silva David ; Gustavo Spina Gaudencio de Almeida ; Hilton Thadeu Zarate do Couto ; Irina Marinho Factori ; Isabella Menuzzo Lucon ; João Donato Scorvo Filho ; José Mauro Santana da Silva ; José Teixeira Filho ; Juliana Domingues Lima ; Juliana Sanches de Laurentiz ; Katharina Eichbaum Esteves ; Leonardo Vasconcelos Fregolente ; Luciana Duque Silva ; Marcello Villar Boock ; Marcelo Marques de Magalhães ; Marcelo Mendes Brandao ; Marcelo Pereira da Cunha ; Marcos Aureliano Silva Cerqueira ; Mariana Broso Fieri ; Mauro Alexandre Xavier ; Mauro Donizeti Berni ; Patricia Helena Nogueira Turco ; Paulo César Souza Manduca ; Raluca Savu ; Regina Celia de Matos Pires ; Roberto Botelho Ferraz Branco ; Rodrigo Lanna Franco da Silveira ; Rodrigo Marcelli Boaretto ; Rubens Maciel Filho ; Sérgio Alves de Carvalho ; Silvia Vaz Guerra Nista ; Terezinha Monteiro dos Santos Cividanes ; Thais Queiroz Zorzeto Cesar ; Tsai Siu Mui ; Vander Bruno dos Santos ; Victor Augusto Forti ; Wellington Adriano Moreira Peres
• Associated research grant(s): 25/13971-1 - Processing and characterization of functional plastics for agricultural applications, AP.R; 25/06906-9 - XIII Iberian Congress of AgroEngineering, AR.EXT; 24/09921-6 - Revolutionizing Dutch and Brazilian Biomass Conversion: Cutting-Edge Process Modelling for Hydrothermal Liquefaction into High Quality Fuels, AP.R SPRINT; 24/01804-0 - Asian Pacific Aquaculture 2024, AR.EXT; 23/00718-0 - Developing Capacity to Use High-throughput Phenotyping to Genetics and Breeding of Complex Stresses in Soybean, AP.R SPRINT
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/17248-2 - Scientific Communication in Plasticulture: Connecting Research and Society, BP.JC; 25/08496-2 - Influence of the use of a polyethylene plastic tunnel in clonal garden management on the nutritional and physiological balance of native forest and eucalyptus species., BP.TT; 25/02045-9 - Plastic solutions in coffee drying areas, BP.TT; + associated scholarships 24/23824-3 - Synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and incorporation in polyethylene films, BP.TT; 24/18022-5 - Development of agricultural films based on polyolefins with inorganic and organic luminophores for light conversion, BP.TT; 24/18644-6 - Optimization process of films for agricultural applications, BP.TT; 24/16965-0 - Synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and incorporation into polyethylene films, BP.TT; 24/17591-6 - Occurrence of microplastics in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus - GIFT) cultured in recirculation systems, BP.IC; 24/17797-3 - Evaluation of microplastic contamination in the water in an experimental recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for tilapia farming, BP.IC; 24/14989-9 - Temperature Monitoring on the Surface of Banana Fruit Peel Protected with Different Bagging Materials to Prevent Cold Damage, BP.IC; 24/16936-0 - Plastic Materials in the Production of 'Nanica' Bananas and Their Effects on Post-Harvest Quality, BP.TT; 24/13070-1 - Occurrence of Microplastics in Red Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus - Saint Peter) Cultivated in Recirculating Systems, BP.IC; 24/08150-6 - Application of greenhouse gas balance to plasticulture., BP.IC; 24/08841-9 - AI-Driven Detection of Plastic Materials in Agricultural Environments, BP.IC; 24/06856-9 - Remote Sensing Images Classification for Plasticulture Studies: Pre-Processing and Datafusion, BP.IC; 24/06854-6 - Spatial analyzes to enable the Circular Economy in Plasticulture, BP.PD; 24/06221-3 - Evaluation of degradation of Polyethylene Mulching in soil, BP.IC; 24/05754-8 - Optimization process of films for agricultural applications, BP.TT; 24/04660-0 - Indicators of the formation of plastic microparticles in the soil and integrated evaluation of Polyethylene Mulching in native forest growth., BP.DR; 23/15344-9 - Radiation use efficiency in greenhouses with smart films, BP.IC; 23/14122-2 - Nanocomposite processing, BP.TT; 23/07677-8 - Synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles and incorporation into polyethylene films., BP.TT; 23/06216-7 - Initial setling of ponkan mandarin on two rootstocks in different plastic protection systems against HLB vectors and use of mulching, BP.IC; 23/04713-3 - Use of plastic materials in table citrus production and its effects on post-harvest quality, BP.TT; 23/03844-7 - Coffee drying structures: plastic solutions for coffee drying terraces, BP.IC - associated scholarships

Abstract

The Center for Plasticulture Engineering (CEP) integrates agronomic sciences, polymer engineering, and materials chemistry to create the next generation of plastics for agricultural applications. Operating across both diagnostic and development fronts, CEP builds a scientific and technological foundation that connects microstructure and processing to microclimate and productivity. With a strong emphasis on training people and transferring knowledge to the productive sector, CEP accelerates the sustainable adoption of more competitive materials in plasticulture, contributing to food security, reduced environmental impacts, and climate resilience. (AU)