RadTech Announces Winners of 2025 UV+EB Degradability Challenge

The RadTech Degradable Materials Task Force announced two winners of the 2025 UV+EB Degradability Challenge. Congratulations to Dr. Chen Wang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Utah, and Dr. Travis W. Walker, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, on their achievements.

Today, many commercially available packaging materials, especially for food, use wax and other coatings that hinder degradability. Dr. Wang’s innovative photocurable polymer material, however, is fully home compostable and soil degradable. Replacing single-use wrappers with this material could significantly impact the fight against global pollution.

Dr. Walker has developed novel photopolymerizable anhydride oligomers that offer enhanced dimensional and chemical stability, tunable mechanical properties, and controlled degradability in the presence of water. These materials are among the first of their kind to exist as liquids at room temperature, opening new possibilities for manufacturing and sustainability.

In addition to the two challenge winners, the Degradable Materials Task Force recognized Dan Halkyard, director of sustainable product development at S-One Labels and Packaging, and Ahmed Bashir, digital ink chemist at INX International Inks, on their innovative contributions to sustainable material solutions.

Dr. Wang and Dr. Walker will share their work at RadTech 2025 during session 5C: “RadLaunch, Sustainability, and Degradability Award Winner Presentations” on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 11 am-noon. All four Degradability Challenge honorees will receive awards at the Emerging Awards Dinner on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 6:30 pm.

To attend the presentations and the award dinner, please join us in Detroit, MI at RadTech 2025, May 18-21, 2025. Details available at https://radtech.org/radtech25/