• Dr.-Ing. Fabian Jakob from the University of Kassel won the Röchling Prize for his dissertation
• The winner of the Röchling Prize for the best Master's thesis was Kristin Hartmann from Leibniz Universität Hannover

Mannheim, 10. November 2023 | Dr.-Ing. Fabian Jakob and Kristin Hartmann are this year's winners of the Röchling Prize, which is awarded by the Scientific Working Group Plastics Technology (Wissenschaftlicher Arbeitskreis Kunststofftechnik, WAK). The prize is awarded for outstanding academic theses. 

Dr.-Ing. Fabian Jakob from the University of Kassel won the Röchling Prize for his dissertation titled "Process influences in the combined compacting and back-injection process for the production of back-injected self-reinforced composites". In it, he showed that intrinsically reinforced composites with back-injected areas can be produced in a combined process and that their mechanical properties can be adjusted via the process parameters in the same way as in conventionally compacted, intrinsically reinforced composites.  

The winner of the Röchling Prize for the best Master's thesis was Kristin Hartmann from Leibniz Universität Hannover for her work with the title "Investigation of the ecological sustainability of the production of bio-polyethylene from different generations of raw materials in Germany".  

"Plastic is the material of the 21st century. With the Röchling Prize, we want to promote research projects that offer innovative and resource-saving approaches for the development of technical applications," says Dr. Axel Höfter, who heads the Research and Development division at Röchling Industrial and is responsible for the prize on the company side. "Intensive dialog with the WAK experts and contact with young talent is therefore very important to us." 

Since 2015, the Röchling Group has been supporting academics by sponsoring the Röchling Prize, which is awarded by the WAK. The Röchling Prize recognizes outstanding theses on processes and material issues in the recycling of plastics and is endowed with 5,000 euros (doctoral theses) and 3,500 euros (master's theses). 

The Scientific Working Group Plastics Technology has set itself the goal of promoting plastics technology scientifically and professionally. The working group exchanges experiences with people, institutions and research associations working in the field of plastics technology. It coordinates university research interests, establishes and maintains contacts with research institutions, associations and funding bodies, maintains contacts with industrial companies and associations and carries out public relations work for the interests of plastics technology.