Plastics are essential in daily life but pose significant environmental risks due to slow degradation and pollution, especially in water bodies. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) used in products like automotive parts and electronics, is currently grouped with other plastics that lack dedicated recycling programs. However, upcoming regulatory changes in Europe aim to improve its recycling.

Nanoindentation is a standard technique usually devoted to characterize the mechanical properties of materials. However, the high and localized pressure applied by nanoindentation allows to reach critical condition for phase transition in many materials, thus obtaining metastable phases that often are maintained upon pressure release.

The University of Milano-Bicocca will confer an honorary master degree in Materials Science and Nanotechnology upon Prof. Hiroshi Amano, Nobel Laureate in Physics in 2014.

The conferment ceremony will take place on Monday, April 7th, at 10:00 a.m. in the Aula Magna.

On this occasion, Prof. Hiroshi Amano will give the Lectio Magistralis "Role of New Semiconductor Materials in Realizing Net Zero Carbon and Smart Society".