This autumn, Emma Söderhjelm, Quality Manager at Swedish K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery AB, begins a PhD project focused on deepening the understanding of degradation processes and the recyclability of polyamides. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Polymer Technology Institute (PTI) in Värnamo, Sweden, and is funded by the Wallenberg Initiative Material Science for Sustainability (WISE) through the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Polyamides are used in applications ranging from automotive components and electronics to packaging and textiles, yet their recyclability presents significant challenges. Söderhjelm’s work will investigate how polyamides degrade over time and will seek methods to improve their recyclability, supporting efforts to reduce plastic waste and advance the circular economy in the plastics industry.
“We are very pleased to welcome Emma Söderhjelm into this role and look forward to the insights her research will deliver,” says Bengt Rimark, CEO of K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery AB. “This initiative clearly demonstrates our commitment to building a more sustainable plastics industry. Improving the recycling of polyamides is essential if we are to meet future demands for circular material flows and contribute to a greener future.”
“Emma’s project is another key step in PTI’s development and will support the continued expansion of our activities. Alongside our new facilities currently under construction, it forms an important part of a more sustainable future for the Swedish plastics industry,” adds Joakim Wiedesheim, CEO of PTI.
For Söderhjelm, the project is both an academic opportunity and a personal milestone. “This is an incredibly exciting project in a progressive environment! To have the chance to pursue a PhD and delve into such an important aspect of future chemistry, while being able to do it in my hometown, is truly a dream come true,” she says.
Project scope and collaboration
The project exemplifies how industrial expertise and academic research can combine to address sustainability challenges. K.D. Feddersen, a distributor of engineering plastics, and PTI, a development and innovation center for polymers, will provide a research environment closely linked to industrial needs. Funding from WISE, the largest individual research initiative in Sweden’s history, underscores the strategic importance of the work for Sweden’s position in materials and sustainability research.
From left to right: Emma Söderhjelm, K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery AB, Joakim Wiedesheim, Polymer Technology Institute (PTI) and Bengt Rimark, K.D. Feddersen Plastics Machinery AB.
