Morassa Raouf

PhD project: Biobased barriers on packaging substrates

Supervisor: Agne Swerin

Dissertation planned to: 2027

Research area:

The PhD project in chemical engineering will use wood-pulp fibres, modified cellulosic materials, dewatering and drying as well as computational fluid dynamics, mass transfer models, rheological characterization of complex fluids and renewable packaging solutions. The studies will involve experimental work as well as calculations and modelling of the barrier performance.The research focus of the doctoral student will be on:• To experimentally modify the surface chemistry and properties of the biobased coating materials to affect both rheological and barrier performance.• To analyse properties of the biobased and sustainable components into diffusion and solubility by using molecular modelling techniques for fundamental interactions as well as computational fluid dynamics modelling for the interaction with surrounding liquids and gases• To employ different coating techniques, also in combinations, in even smarter ways to achieve barrier functionality and to scale up to pilot or industrial scale, or by using advanced instrumental facilities, to verify successful laboratory results, at Karlstad University and at collaborating facilities

Research theme: 1-wood components, 2-biorefinery, 3-material forming, 4-material concepts