The paradox of plastics drives his research

“Towards the end of my Master’s programme in engineering in Lund, I took several in-depth courses in chemistry and thought for a while about working in the pharmaceutical industry. But that didn’t happen; after graduating, I stepped straight into the plastics industry – an area I hadn’t thought about before. I first worked at a plastics company that was a subcontractor to, among other things, the automotive industry. That’s when my interest in plastics was awakened.”

This led him to the research institute IFP Research, which is now part of RISE, where he conducted industry-related investigations. It was there that his interest in research questions grew.

In 2005, a doctoral student position at the University of Borås showed up, which he applied for. This gave him opportunity to study polymers at really close range, on a molecular scale.

From tiny lab to state-of-the-art research environment

When Dan came to the University of Borås, polymer research here was still in its infancy.

“It was basically just me and Professor Mikael Skrifvars. Our lab was tiny. Over the years, a lot has happened and today we have a well-equipped environment and work closely together with both biotechnology and textile technology,” he said.

Plastics – society’s necessary paradox

So what is it that is so fascinating about polymer materials?

“It’s that they are everywhere. They are indispensable in our society. Plastics are cheap, flexible, and can be shaped into almost anything. They are used in everything from solar cells and wind turbines to airplanes and cars. We wouldn’t be able to manage the green transition without them,” he said.

At the same time, the picture of the environmental impact of plastic is complicated. “It’s the material of contradictions. They are fantastically useful but also problematic. We have simply not learned to deal with them in a sustainable way, especially when it comes to recycling. A great paradox arises there – and this is the starting point of the research.”

Wants to understand the material at the molecular level

What drives Dan is clear: “I want to develop polymer materials from renewable raw materials and study how they can be recycled. And I want to understand what happens at the molecular level. There is a lot left to explore.”

In 20 years, his field of research has changed a lot.

“Research on the environmental effects of plastics has grown enormously in recent decades. Renewable raw materials, microplastics and circularity are key issues today. When it comes to recycling, however, we are still lagging behind – we produce much more plastic than we can actually recycle,” he said.

Two main tracks – bio-based polymers and smart recycling

The polymer technology research group currently works primarily with two areas. One is the development of bio-based plastics, fibres, and composites. Composites are materials where the plastic is reinforced with fibres and is used in everything from cars and airplanes to wind turbine blades.

“In composites, thermosetting plastics are often used. We are working on synthesising such polymers from, among other things, plant-based oils, lactic acid and other bio-based raw materials,” said Dan.

The second track is about recycling. During his time as a postdoc, Dan worked with the recycling of fiberglass composites, a material used in wind turbine blades that cannot be burned. In the work, micropyrolysis was investigated as a possible method to recycle the material.

“This breaks the plastic down into oil and gas, which in turn can be used as raw material in the chemical industry. It opens up new paths.”

Right now, a micro melt spinner is on the research group’s shopping list. It is a piece of equipment that makes it possible to produce fibres from very small amounts of material. The goal is to create biodegradable fibres. And the challenges are great.

“Today’s plastic is almost entirely fossil-based. We have not been able to replace it on a larger scale. The economy and the technical properties of the materials are determinative. At the same time, recycling is a huge problem. There are so many kinds of plastics, and they can’t be mixed. The result is low-quality recycled plastic that has to be mixed with fossil plastic. Then we lose circularity.”

Curiosity as a driving force

What advice does he give to junior researchers?

“Keep being curious. It must be fun to do research. Otherwise, it is better to go into business and industry.”

At his professorial lecture, he plans to sum up his two decades as a researcher – from that first spark in chemistry to today’s work on the future of plastics.

Researcher profile

Research group: Polymer Technology

Research area: Resource Recovery