In recycling, he developed the technology to manufacture polymer nanocompounds through the use of volcanic clays and recycled PET as a polymeric matrix. His work enables the reuse of water and soft-drink bottles made with PET. Mexico discards 400,000 tons per year, but recuperates only 17 percent. The problem with PET recycling is that, after first-time processing, it looses some of its physical properties (viscosity) and thus requires specialized technologies in the recycling process to make it reusable. Viscosity loss is closely related to molecular degradation of the original polymer chains making viscosity recuperation necessary before attempting to recycle PET. Combining PET with nanoparticles and additives is an effective technique to do it.

Dr. Manero is a former head of the Polymer and Rheology departments of the Instituto de Investigación en Materiales (IIM) [Institute of Materials Research] of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico]. He has been a member of the Consejo Consultivo del Comité de Polímeros [Consulting Council of the Polymers Committee] of the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (Conacyt) [National Council of Science and Technology]. He has been guest professor of the Mathematics Department of the University of Wales, Great Britain. He has been a professor at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) [National Autonomous University of Mexico], the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) [Autonomous Metropolitan University], Iztapalapa Campus and the State University of New York (SUNY). He is a former president of the Sociedad Polimérica de México [Polymeric Society of Mexico] and belongs to the Consejo Consultivo de Ciencias de la Presidencia de la República (CCC) [Science Consulting Council of the President’s Office]. He received the Premio Universidad Nacional [National University Prize] in the area of Innovación Tecnológica y Diseño Industrial [Technological Innovation and Industrial Design]; the Premio Nacional de Química “Andrés Manuel del Río” [“Andrés Manuel del Río” National Chemistry Prize]; the Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes [National Award for Science and Arts]; the Premio Condumex [Condumex Prize] for his contributions to the polymers area. Cátedra Patrimonial de Excelencia del Conacyt [Conacyt’s Endowed Chair of Excellence].

Dr. Manero has published 97 scientific papers in refereed journals, 85 publications in proceedings, 7 articles to disseminate science and 6 books. He has tutored 15 doctorate dissertations and 15 master’s and 20 bachelor’s theses.