Guo-Hua Hu - Biography#

Prof. Guo-Hua Hu is a Full Professor of the Exceptional Class at the University of Lorraine, bridging process engineering and polymer science. Appointed in 1998, he rapidly established scientific independence and leadership. His early recognition includes the CNRS Bronze Medal (1996) and the Morand Lambla Award (2001) for contributions to reactive extrusion, and he served as a Junior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF, 2004–2009).

Prof. Hu is internationally recognized for developing a predictive engineering framework that integrates chemical kinetics with transport phenomena. By linking reaction dynamics with flow, mixing, and heat/mass transfer, his work has shifted polymer synthesis and blending from empirical trial-and-error toward a rigorously quantitative discipline. This framework enables rational control of polymer architecture and morphology at industrial scale and was pivotal in the advancement of reactive extrusion, acknowledged by IUPAC in 2019 as one of the ten most innovative chemical technologies, establishing it as a continuous, scientifically mature reaction platform.

His recent research addresses sustainability, focusing on carbon-neutral materials, bio-based and CO₂-derived elastomers, and supercritical-fluid-assisted technologies for polymer circularity and recycling. The practical impact of his work is substantial: he holds seven patent families covering 48 titles, covering a wide jurisdiction of countries. His industrial perspective is strengthened by experience as Scientific Delegate at Atofina (now Arkema).

Beyond research, Prof. Hu contributes to the European innovation landscape. He is a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and serves as Scientific Officer of its Engineering Division. He has previously led a pan-European chemical industry think tank and participates in the Strategic Committee of the Société des Experts Chimistes de France.

Leadership and Service to the Scientific Community (recent)

• 2021 - 2024 Jury Member, Morand–Lambla Award, Polymer Processing Society
• 2024 - Member, Strategic Committee, Société des Experts Chimistes de France (SECF)
• 2024 - Member, Scientific Council, European Materials Research Society (E-MRS)
• 2025 - 2028 Scientific Officer, Engineering Division, European Academy of Sciences

Conference Leadership (recent)

• 2024 - Organiser, high-level Europe–China scientific meetings on materials science
• 2024 - Organiser, France–China Academician Forums on carbon neutrality and green chemical engineering
• 2024 - Chair, four symposia (each >150 participants), World Materials Congress
• 2025 - Chair, E-MRS Spring Meeting (23 parallel symposia, ~2,500 participants)
• 2025 - Chair, one symposium, World Materials Congress

Editorships

• 2022 - present Editor-in-Chief, SPE Polymers (Wiley)
• 2025 - present Editorial Board Member, Engineering (Elsevier), the flagship journal of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, involving strategic editorial responsibilities within the international engineering community