• The Röchling Prize for the best dissertation goes to Dr.-Ing. Lisa Tölle from the University of Paderborn.
• Leo Gerschmann receives the prize for the best master thesis.
Mannheim, 04.11.2024 | Dr.-Ing. Lisa Tölle and Leo Gerschmann are the winners of the Röchling Prize 2024, which was awarded by the Scientific Working Group of University Professors of Plastics Technology (WAK) at the end of October on the premises of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA) in Frankfurt am Main. The prize has been sponsored by Röchling Industrial on behalf of the Röchling Group since 2015 and is awarded for outstanding academic theses on plastics recycling - now for the tenth time.
The Röchling Prize for the best dissertation was awarded to Dr. Lisa Tölle for her dissertation at the University of Paderborn on “A contribution to controlling the development of fibre dust in fiber-reinforced plastics during mechanical recycling”, supervised by Professor Dr. Elmar Moritzer. In her research work, Lisa Tölle investigated whether and to what extent inhalable and respirable fiber fragments as well as WHO fibers, i.e. artificial mineral fibers that are longer than 5 µm and have a diameter of less than 3 µm, are produced during the comminution of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. She also examined the resulting fiber fragments for their toxicity.
Leo Gerschmann was delighted to receive the Röchling Prize for the best thesis he submitted to the University of Bayreuth. His study, supervised by Professor Dr. Holger Ruckdäschel, provided a “contribution to the investigation of the influence of rheological properties on the foaming behavior of rPET/PBT blends”.
Dr. Axel Höfter, General Manager Corporate R&D at Röchling Industrial, presented the prizes on behalf of the company. “As a family-owned company with a history stretching back more than 200 years, we have made it our mission to promote sustainability in particular. That is why we are happy to support the projects of young scientists who provide innovative impetus for the recycling of plastics,” he said. The Röchling Prize is endowed with 5,000 euros for the best dissertation and 3,500 euros for the best diploma or master's thesis.
The WAK 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.
