Polymeric materials for increasing resource efficiency
Resource efficiency, which implies the efficient use of natural resources, has become one of the key parameters in the course of a sustainable development of our environment, economy and society. Plastics already contribute significantly to resource efficiency in many sectors of our lives and industry: besides the realization of efficient building insulations, light-weight vehicle components and intelligent packaging polymeric materials are also essential for regenerative energy production. Moreover, polymers produced from renewable resources are entering the market more and more. However, to further exploit and increase the resource efficiency potential of plastics, a continuous material development and innovation as well as an efficient and stable recirculation are required. In this regard current research activities at the Department Polymer Engineering and Science focus on the following key topics: – innovative polymers for sustainable energy production and storage – green engineering with polymeric materials – waste prevention, end-of-life scenarios and recycling technology
