Environmental Engineering

The Environmental Engineering Department is focused on the development of sustainable synthesis, production and recovery processes, and on the qualification of technical products according to standardized or advanced and customer-specific testing procedures. The development of modern, sustainable processes requires a highly efficient use of existing resources combined with the exploitation of new material sources, such as sustainable raw materials, for the manufacture of new products.

Research areas in the Environmental Engineering Department

 

Polymers and additives

The research group for polymers and additives develops technical polymers with new or improved properties. One field is the recovery of new building blocks from sustainable raw materials. Another is the application of flame retardants in plastics (synthesis, formulation, flame retardancy tests).

 

Reaction and separation techniques

The research group for reaction and separation techniques works on chemical, thermal and mechanical processing methods. Emphasis is placed on both the manufacture of new products, for example using chemical reactions, and the separation of individual components.

 

Environmental simulation and product qualification

The research group for environmental simulation and production qualification uses specially-developed testing units to simulate environmental influences on products and materials. The effects of these influences are measured and evaluated. Tailored tests are also developed.

 

Recycling and resource efficiency management

Resource efficiency and sustainability form a basis for the material, process and concept development in the research group for recycling and resource efficiency management. Competences range from the characterization of material streams through to the high-value application of these streams in production processes.

 

Analytics

The analytics group in the Environmental Engineering Department works on the analysis of natural materials, polymer products and mineral components in recycled materials. Investigations using GC-MS, LC-MS, GPC, EA and ICP-OES are carried out for example on lignins, sugars, fats and platform chemicals for synthesis.