The characterisation, dry-wet- and wet-forming, chemical and physical modification as well as production of functional and construction materials from native polymers, especially cellulose and other polysaccharides and proteins are in the main focus of the Department "Native Polymers and Chemical Research".

Cellulose represents a sustainable and recent raw material with an almost inexhaustible occurrence. Currently, only about 5 % of it is used in paper making-, furniture- and chemical industries as well as for the purpose of energy production.
The research activities of the Chemical Department are mainly focused on the dry-wet forming of cellulose according to the direct-dissolution process (Lyocell-process), using a proprietary technology variant (ALCERU-process). After discovering the extraordinary tolerance of cellulose solutions towards finely-ground functional additives, it became feasible to produce a wide variety of fibrous cellulosic functional and construction materials. In this way textile processible cellulose fibres have been equipped with additional functions such as electrical conductivity, bacteriostatic and fungicide effects or thermosorptive properties and we succeeded to scale up the process gradually.
It is the objective of these activities to produce and commercialise such fibres in cooperation with small- and medium sized businesses.
Due to its exclusive role the Chemical Department is involved in some important national and international research networks, such as Centre of Excellence of Polysaccharide Research Jena-Rudolstadt and European Network of Excellence (EPNOE) as well as in the Research Association of Renewable Resources .

 fields of activity

	Chemical and physical modification and production of functional and construction materials of native polymers
		Development of functional fibres
		Speciality fibre and technology development/ Up-scaling
		Modification and Shaping of Proteins
	Characterisation of native polymers
		The analytical characterisation of native polymers and polymer  solutions
	Dry-Wet-Forming of native polymers
		Cellulose beads
		Cellulose fibrids, Micro fibrids, Finest fibres

 projects

	Cellulose-Derivatisation
	Chemical and physical modification and production of functional and construction materials of native polymers
	Characterisation of native polymers
	Dry-Wet-Forming of native polymers

 techniques

	Analytical technical equipment
	Dry milling

content
fields of activity
projects
techniques