This January, Technische Universität Darmstadt and the Koehler Paper Group will kick off the Green Coating Collaboration, a research partnership aimed at developing functional surfaces from sustainable raw materials.
Koehler has already laid the foundation with an investment of over Euro 300 million in its Kehl mill, where the company plans to produce paper-based solutions with special barrier properties. The objective is to replace plastic with sustainable paper solutions wherever possible and practical.
“We are leveraging infrastructure synergies, the core competencies, and the expertise of TU Darmstadt and Koehler in the best possible way for this innovative project,” said Dr. Markus Wildberger, corporate director of technology at Koehler, explaining the project’s intentions. “The institute for Macromolecular and Paper Chemistry at TU Darmstadt is a world-class research partner, and we are looking forward to working together.”
Within the framework of this collaboration, both Koehler employees and employees and students from TU Darmstadt will carry out joint research at the university to develop functional surfaces that are recyclable and/or biodegradable, which will allow the paper coated with these materials to be fed into the paper recycling process, the challenges of which, unlike many other materials cycles, have already been solved.
