SKZ awards “Premium Partner Research 2025” to Tarkett
The SKZ Plastics Center has named Tarkett GDL S.A. a “Premium Research Partner 2025.” The company was particularly impressed by the close, successful collaboration with the EZD in Selb—for example, in the development of a sophisticated UV-curable inkjet ink and next-generation PVC plastisols.
Celia Descheemaeker (R&D Engineer, Tarkett), Christophe Maertens (R&D Scientific Director, Tarkett), and Diego Gourdin (R&D Engineer – Master Expert PVC, Tarkett) at the award ceremony. (Photo: Tarkett)
Outstanding projects on inkjet inks and environmentally friendly PVC plastisols recognised
Once again this year, the Plastics Centre SKZ is honouring companies that have distinguished themselves through particularly trusting, innovative and successful collaboration in research projects. One of the 2025 award recipients is Tarkett GDL S.A., which impressed SKZ in particular with its exceptional commitment within several joint research projects at the European Centre for Dispersion Technologies (EZD) in Selb.
Tarkett is an internationally active manufacturer of flooring, developing and producing vinyl, linoleum, carpet and wood floors for residential, commercial and industrial applications, among others.
Advancing UV Inkjet Technologies
One of the recognised projects focused on developing a challenging UV-curable inkjet ink. The challenges mainly lie in the stringent requirements for a stable inkjet printing process, which requires precise control of the ink’s rheological and dispersion-related properties.
Working closely with Tarkett, the EZD team was able to significantly improve the ink’s dispersion stability through targeted formulation adjustments. This reliably met the requirements for the inkjet process. In addition, a more efficient manufacturing process route for the ink was demonstrated, further strengthening its industrial applicability.
Sustainable PVC Plastisols for Future Flooring
Already before their successful collaboration on UV ink formulation, EZD and Tarkett were working closely together on a forward-looking research project aimed at advancing PVC plastisols for flooring applications. This joint initiative focused on increasing the use of recycled PVC and bio-based fillers in particulate systems to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of future PVC plastisol formulations.
As part of the project, various parameters were analysed by processing particles using various milling techniques. These insights provided valuable guidance on how to incorporate higher proportions of environmentally friendly particles without compromising performance. This collaborative research project exemplifies the shared commitment of EZD and Tarkett to innovation and sustainability in developing next-generation polymer technologies.
Collaboration as a Key to Success
Dr. Felipe Wolff Fabris, Site Manager of EZD in Selb, highlights the exceptional quality of the cooperation: “Working with Tarkett was exemplary in all respects. Together, we mastered major technical challenges, and thanks to the open and solution-oriented exchange, we were able to achieve high-quality results very quickly. The projects show how successful research partnerships can be when both sides work together with passion and innovative strength.”
Recognising Excellence in Research Partnerships
With the “Premium Research Partner” award, SKZ recognises companies that make a significant contribution to advancing plastics engineering through outstanding research work and cooperative collaboration. Tarkett thus joins a group of selected industry partners distinguished by a strong research focus and a high degree of innovative spirit.
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