European patent EP-2496644-B1 granted for mixtures of biodegradable polyesters with natural-origin polymers, naming Catia Bastioli as inventor.
On July 13, 2016, European Patent EP-2496644-B1, titled "Mixtures of biodegradable polyesters with at least one polymer of natural origin," was granted and published, naming Catia Bastioli as inventor and Novamont S.p.A. as assignee. This grant provided formal European-wide legal protection for the hybrid polyester-natural polymer blend technology first filed in 2010, with a priority date reaching back to 2008.
The patented technology enabled the creation of biodegradable plastic formulations that combined engineered polyesters with naturally derived polymers, offering manufacturers greater flexibility in balancing mechanical performance, biodegradation rate, and renewable material content. This approach was central to Novamont's ongoing refinement of its Mater-Bi bioplastic family across an expanding range of commercial applications, from packaging films to agricultural products.
The grant, occurring nearly eight years after the technology's priority date, highlights the long timelines often involved in bringing sustainable materials innovations through the full patent examination process in Europe. It further cemented Bastioli's legacy as one of the most prolific and consistently active inventors in the European bioplastics sector across multiple decades.