KTH Materials Platform Day: “Über polymerisation”
Polymers - 100 years of macromolecular science. New materials such as plastic, rubber, textiles and glue have become an obvious part of our everyday lives. Increased demands on resource efficiency and circular economy place new demands. What are the opportunities to develop polymeric materials to meet the new requirements?
Time: Tue 2020-09-29 15.00 - 18.00
Location: IVA
Participating: Arranged by: KTH Materials Platform
This year it is 100 years since Nobel laureate Herman Staudinger published his groundbreaking article that led to evidence that polymers exist and can be created synthetically. This has led to a revolution and more and more polymeric materials have been created which have shaped our modern lifestyle. Plastic is one example. It is an integrated part of our everyday life, both in the form of consumer goods and food packaging but also in advanced materials in electronics and healthcare, such as prostheses.
Awareness of the negative environmental effects of certain fossil-based polymeric materials is increasing. But we will need materials with the same properties and preferably better in the future. At the same time, the demands on circularity and recycling are increasing.
- Staudinger's theory meant a revolution in the development of polymers. What are the most important development steps? How has it affected our world and our way of life?
- How has the chemical industry developed through the possibilities of producing polymers synthetically?
- How does the chemical industry work today with new materials and the green transition?
- What does the research front look like?
- How do we create a nuanced, knowledge-based debate about plastics and other polymeric materials?
Participants include: Ann-Christine Albertsson, professor emeritus, KTH, Lena Lundberg, responsible for plastic raw material issues, IKEM, Stefan Lundmark, Principal Scientist, Perstorp, Henrik Thunman, professor, Chalmers.
Moderator: Ulrica Edlund, Professor, KTH
Welcome to a seminar arranged by KTH materials Platform and IVA's department for Chemical Engineering.