Ulrica Edlund talks about water purification at ForskarFredag
Ulrica Edlund, Professor of Polymer Technology at KTH is participating in this year's ForskarFredag. She will discuss how material chemistry can be part of the solution to today's environmental challenges, as well as the research programme Mistra TerraClean, which focuses on smart materials for purifying air and water.
"ForskarFredag is a fantastic opportunity for researchers and the public to meet each other," says Ulrica Edlund.
Ulrica Edlund's research revolves around creating materials that are not just innovative and functional but also sustainable for our planet. By using renewable sources like forest biomass, algae, and agricultural waste, her team develops bioplastics, barrier films, microspheres, and hydrogels. Materials that can be used, for example, to remove chemical byproducts from industrial wastewater.
"I want to show how we work in an interdisciplinary way within the programme and use environmental assessments as a tool from the start of material development so that the final products are not just smart and effective in their function, but also safe."
The theme for this year's ForskarFredag is "Humans, Health, and Water," so highlighting research on water purification is apt. Ulrica Edlund will deliver her lecture at Albanova on Friday, 29th September, at 1:00 pm.
What do you hope the audience will take away?
"How fun and exciting research is. How we chemists can manipulate various materials molecules and control how they behave," says Ulrica Edlund.
Text: Jon Lindhe