The growing importance of a bioeconomy strategy based on renewable raw materials is clearly reflected in the program of the ZELLCHEMING Conference - Cellulose-Based Materials. The great potential of cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls and thus the world's most abundant organic compound, will be addressed in 24 scientific and technical presentations by internationally renowned speakers.
The event, which will take place from June 26 to 29, 2022, at the RheinMain CongressCenter (RMCC) in Wiesbaden, Germany, will for the first time bridge the gap between innovative research on cellulose-based as well as -derived polymers and scientific work in the field of probably the best-known material built from cellulose: paper.
As a joint initiative of professors from the Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Jena, as well as the ZELLCHEMING association with its technical committees, the event brings together industry and research institutes in the fields of chemistry, physics and engineering and facilitates an active exchange. Young researchers are also actively involved and present their own work as a poster show.
"We are very pleased that we have been able to attract internationally renowned representatives from science and industry to speak at our event," says Prof. Dr. Markus Biesalski, Professor of Macromolecular Chemistry and Paper Chemistry at TU Darmstadt. "The lecture program is an expression of the increasing dovetailing of the wood- and recycled fiber-based paper industry with companies and scientists in the field of cellulose chemistry who are dedicated to the use of cellulose polymers in sustainable products. With our conference, we would like to provide a framework for this content in the future!" explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Samuel Schabel, Head of the Department of Paper Manufacturing and Mechanical Process Engineering at TU Darmstadt. "The great global response - in addition to speakers from Europe, we have also hosted colleagues from the USA, Canada and Australia, among other countries - shows that we have hit a nerve," adds Prof. Dr. Thomas Heinze, Director of the Center of Excellence for Polysaccharides at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena.
The program of the three-day conference is divided into different sessions, each led by Professors Heinze, Biesalski and Schabel: Cellulose Chemistry and Physics; Paper Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Lignocellulose; Paper and Pulp Engineering; and Paper Engineering, Physics & Characterization. Highlights include insights into pharmaceutical and bio-medical applications, cellulose processing capabilities, film production, paper-based diagnostic tools, or sustainable energy generation.
"This international conference offers new impulses and promotes interdisciplinary approaches. There are also many opportunities for personal discussions and the expansion of the network, for example at the Get-Together and the Conference Dinner. In addition, we are pleased that the third day of the conference coincides with the first day of the ZELLCHEMING-Expo 2022, so that participants can also visit this high-profile event," summarizes Petra Hanke, Managing Director of ZELLCHEMING Service GmbH.
