Dominik Uhl has won the 2026 SKZ Young Researchers Award for his master’s thesis on “The Development of Bio-Based Thermosetting Molding Compounds Based on Unsaturated Polyester Resins.” The Würzburg Plastics Institute has been presenting this award annually since 2013 to recognize outstanding scientific theses.

Dr. René Stangenberg (SIMONA AG, left) congratulates Dominik Uhl on winning the SKZ Young Talent Award. (Photo: Luca Hoffmannbeck, SKZ)

Groundbreaking Master’s thesis on the development of bio-based thermosets impressed the jury

The thesis far exceeded the requirements and was awarded the top grade of 1.0 by both the university and the SKZ. The Young Talent Award, endowed with 2,000 euros, honors outstanding scientific achievements with high relevance for industry and society. This year’s sponsor is SIMONA AG.

Strict Evaluation Criteria – Impressive Performance
“The evaluation criteria include scientific rigor, industrial and societal relevance, prospects for commercial application, and the quality of the thesis,” explains Dr. Johann Erath, Innovation and Technology Transfer Manager at the SKZ and organizer of the Young Researchers’ Award. Dominik Uhl impressed in every respect with his thesis.

New Approaches to Sustainable High-Performance Materials
In his master’s thesis, Dominik Uhl developed novel, nearly entirely bio-based thermosetting molding compounds based on semi-crystalline unsaturated polyester resins for injection molding. To achieve this, he synthesized and characterized innovative bio-based resin systems, combined them with natural fibers and additives, and optimized the formulations to achieve mechanical properties on par with those of competing materials.The thesis was completed as part of the BioDurInject project at SKZ.

The thesis provides important new insights into structure-property relationships and demonstrates that more sustainable, bio-based alternatives are possible for thermosets, which have been difficult to recycle to date. It thus makes a significant contribution to the development of environmentally friendly materials for industrial applications.

Fiber-reinforced duromers are used for highly demanding components—including in the automotive, construction, and mechanical engineering industries—due to their high durability and excellent mechanical properties. Unlike thermoplastics, however, they have been virtually impossible to recycle to date—a key sustainability issue that this work addresses through the use of renewable raw materials.

Great scientific depth and innovation potential
“This work yields valuable scientific insights into the structure-property relationships of semi-crystalline UP resins as well as the behavior of various types of natural fibers,” said Dr. Johannes Rudloff, Head of the Materials Development, Compounding, and Extrusion Division and Dominik Uhl’s supervisor at SKZ. The exceptionally high level of substance and scientific depth creates ideal conditions for further innovative developments in this field, Rudloff added. For this reason, he nominated Uhl for the award.

The 24-year-old studied Applied Materials Science at the Nuremberg University of Applied Sciences, where he discovered his passion for the chemistry of plastics: “I was able to put this chemical understanding to perfect use in my work to synthesize UP resins in a targeted manner. In doing so, I had the opportunity to work on a topic that I personally enjoyed very much and that also helped me advance enormously in my field.”

Thanks to his outstanding achievements, he has been employed for over a year as a research assistant in the Cross-Linked Materials group at the SKZ and is currently developing a method for the chemical recycling of silicones. In the future, Dominik Uhl would also like to devote more time to his passion: researching innovative duromers.

As is the case every year, the Young Scientist Award was presented as part of the SKZ Network Day.