Education

Sara Beldarrain earned her B.Sc. in Chemistry in July 2019 and her M.Sc. in Chemistry and Polymers in October 2020 from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). In 2025, she completed her International PhD in Applied Chemistry and Polymeric Materials at UPV/EHU. Her doctoral project was part of the Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) on Polymerization in Dispersed Media. During her PhD, she undertook an international research stay at AkzoNobel in the Netherlands.

 

Research

Before starting her PhD, Sara Beldarrain worked on controlled radical polymerization and studied the effect of costabilizers on miniemulsion stability for her Bachelor's project. Her Master's project, conducted at POLYMAT and the Materials Physics Centre (CFM), focused on the synthesis of superplasticizers via free-radical solution polymerization, investigating how their microstructure and composition influence cement hydration.

During her PhD, entitled Functionalized Latexes as Dispersants and Spacers for Inorganic Particles in Waterborne Coating Formulations, she aimed to optimize the use of TiO₂ in waterborne paint formulations by enhancing its dispersion and spacing. This was achieved through the use of functional polymer particles, composite polymer particles, and poly(carboxylate ether) comb-like copolymers. Additionally, she conducted research on radiative cooling paints.

Currently, Sara Beldarrain is working as a postdoctoral researcher on projects focused on the development of advanced coatings for various applications, such as biodegradable and anticorrosive coatings.

High Performance Polymers

Publications