This prize recognises an outstanding contribution to the advancement and knowledge of any field related to the science, engineering or technology of plastics. Professor Eichhorn's work focuses on the science, engineering, and technology of cellulosic materials. He has made contributions to our understanding of its physical properties and how these can be exploited in a variety of applications, including fibres, composites and functional materials.
Professor Eichhorn said: “I am delighted and honoured to win the award. Of course nobody wins awards on their own, and this is very much down to a talented group of students and researchers that have collaborated with me over the years. To receive this prestigious award, when it has previously been given to many big names in polymer science, is a real honour for me.”
The award will be presented to Professor Eichhorn at a ceremony in London in December 2020. He will also give the Swinburne lecture as part of the prize on an occasion agreed by the IOM3.
First awarded in 1960, the Swinburne Medal and Prize commemorates the work of Sir James Swinburne (1858-1958), often called the "Father of British Plastics", who revolutionised the plastics industry throughout Europe with his introduction to the phenol-formaldehyde reaction and subsequent involvement in the Bakelite process.