News and events

In the week from 10th to 13th September 2024 the 2nd IPPT_TWINN Summer school on Advanced Technologies in Injection Molding took place on the premises of  Faculty of Polymer Technology in Slovenj Gradec (Slovenia).

We are pleased to announce that the Special Issue; Towards a Sustainable and Recyclable Future with Wood and Wood-Based Composites under expertise Assist. Prof. Dr. Klementina Pušnik Črešnar and Scientific Assocciate Dr.Olivija Plohl.as the Guests Editors are available.

The special Issue serves as a as a comprehensive platform for the knowledge, research findings, innovative approaches related to Sustainable and Recyclable Future with Wood and Wood-Based Composites.

The submission deadline is 20 May 2024; however, papers may be submitted immediately or at any time prior to the deadline, as papers will be published on an ongoing basis.

We encourage you to check out the Special Issue website at:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/special_issues/ZY1L525N64

The features of Materials are as follows (http://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials):

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1. An open access journal of materials science;

2. Indexed by SCIE, EI, Scopus, and PubMed, and achieves high visibility;

3. Its 2022 impact factor is 3.4, and its 2022 CiteScore is 5.2;

4. Manuscripts are peer reviewed, and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 14 days after submission

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Dont miss the opportunity. Lets go together towards sustainable and recyclable future. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

In December we published a scientific article in the journal “Materials” (IF = 3,748) together with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor. The authors of the article are Rebeka Rudolf, Janez Slapnik in Rajko Bobovnik You can find it (for free) at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/133.

Thursday evening, October 13, 2022, was dedicated to the topic of Advanced technologies of hot runner systems in moulds.

As guest we invited Mr. José Dantas, CEO of the Yudo KAM Global Group, responsible for large companies worldwide such as Plastic Omnium, Faurecia, Valeo, Novares, Motherson. Mr. Dantas is passionate for industry and for people. He graduated in mechanical engineering and has 46 years working experience as a mold designer, mechanical engineer and Business manager in several companies for the molding and plastic industries. 

The presented technology is related with latest technology available to produce plastics parts reducing cycle time, improving quality, reducing scrap ratio at same time offer to the user better view of window process. The logic consequences once user access this pack of technology will be less cost to produce their parts offering better arguments to compete in plastic field. There is some technologies that can be applied alone but in some cases can be combined to achieve better results or better performance.

The FTPO polymer evening was attended by more than 30 representatives of various companies, FTPO representatives and students, who had the opportunity to see the FTPO laboratories before the official lecture, and after the lecture, socializing at a banquet.

With these kinds of events, we want to offer current content in the field of polymer technology and thereby maintain a link with the industry.

In September we published a scientific article in the journal Materials (IF = 3,748) together with colleagues from the Dresden University of Technology and the University of Leoben. The authors of the article are Janez Slapnik, Yuanxi Liu, Robert Kupfer, Thomas Lucyshyn, Blaž Nardin, and Gerald Pinter. You can find it (for free) at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/19/6600

Abstract:

This study reports on the development of a novel polymer processing approach that combines low-temperature (LT) processing and fibre direct compounding (FDC) to reduce the thermal stress on thermosensitive components that occurs during compounding and subsequent injection moulding (IM). Composites based on polyamide 6 (PA6) and cellulose fibres (CeF) were prepared using an LT-FDC process and in parallel with a conventional approach using a twin-screw extruder and IM. The morphological, optical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the prepared samples were investigated using optical microscopy (OM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), colorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile tests. Composites prepared using LT-FDC exhibited worse fibre dispersion but lower fibre degradation. In comparison to neat PA6, the LT-FDC composites had increased tensile modulus (E_t) and storage modulus (E′) at 120 °C by up to 32% and 50%, respectively, while the tensile strength (σ_m) decreased by 20%.

We are kindly invite you to our Start Circles Workshop: Compostability of polymeric materials, which will be organized on Wednesday, 17th of November 2021, at 13.00, via MS Teams.

The workshop will be led by our Vice-Dean for Education, izr. prof. dr. Irena Pulko.

The workshop is free of charge by prior registration.

Kindly invited.

More info HERE.

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In September, a 4-day training took place at our faculty as part of the Polyflip project, where we are developing and testing the Flipped classroom approach for engineering higher education study programs with partners from 3 countries. The project is implemented within the ERASMUS + Strategic Partnerships program, where our faculty is the initiator and leading partner of the project.

More info about the live Polyflip training HERE.

Visit also an official project webpage.

We successfully completed the first day of the conference on circular packaging. 

Francesca Siciliano Stevens was with us, Director of the European Organization for Packaging and the Environment and lectures by industry experts from global companies (Greiner Packaging, Interseroh, Lidl GB, BSH Home Appliances Group, DS Smith...) and successful small and medium enterprises (LabelProfi d.o.o., MetGen, KraftPal, Bossis Valjevo...).
In the afternoon we were gaining new knowledge in the field of recycled plastics for packaging and testing biodegradability and compatibility, visiting FTPO laboratories and successfull slovenian company LabelProfi, which deals with flexible packaging and labels.

We successfuly concluded with two-day international conference FTPO on the topic of plastic gears (FTPO Conference 2021- Plastics gears), which took place on 17 and 18 June 2021 in Slovenj Gradec. The conference was organized as a hybrid, with participation in Slovenj Gradec and accessibility via the website using the MS Teams application. The conference was a great success, with a total of more than 50 participants from 18 different countries.

A bilateral agreement signed in 2020 with the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering), Republic of North Macedonia, bore fruit this year. In the summer semester of 2021, a master's student from Skopje, Monika Fidanchevska, joined the study process at FTPO.

More info available HERE.

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The interview available HERE.

As part of the Start Circles project, an international virtual conference was held on 3 February 2021, at which the existing R&D competencies in the field of the circular economy were presented, with an emphasis on plastic and wood materials in Slovenia and Austria.

As part of the Polymetal project, we invite you to online workshop "Thermally Conductive Materials & Testing of Thermal Conductivity", which will focus on the question which materials with very high thermal conductivity are already available on the market, in which application areas they can be applied and which new developments are being targeted.

More information at: http://www.polyregion.org/events/

More info available HERE.

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More info about the cooperation avaliable HERE.

At Faculty of Polymer Technology the composites with thermoplastic matrix and waste biomass are produced.

Check our video presentation, how waste biomass as reinforcement for plastic to make also technical parts, waste paper as biomas was compounded into PE-HD matrix. In this case, the biobased PE-HD was used. On the end of the video presentation also some injection moulded parts are presented. As you can see, our biocomposite, which is biobased, is also suitable for technical parts.

For all additional information we are at your disposal.

The Polymetal is project in the frame of the »Cooperation Programme Interreg V-A Slovenia-Austria«. The main goal of the project is the cross-boarder cooperation, networking and joint R&D of SMEs, R&D institutions from less developed, non-urban areas and one of the leading European home appliances manufacturer on the development of polymer based solutions, which could replace stainless steel or aluminum for design demanding products in different sectors. Project partners are: Gorenje (lead partner), FTPO, MUL, PCCL, Intralighting and Hiebler. The project represents a good example of cross-boarder collaboration of R&D on a demanding technological challenge, which already led to new joint R&D activities, fostered the basis for new products&processes and led to sustainable growth and increased internationalization.

At Faculty of Polymer Technology the composites with addition of high thermal conductivity filler (boron nitride) into thermoplastic matrix (polypropylene) are presented. Check our video presentation where compounding, injection moulding and characterization are presented. As you can see, our composites can achieve high thermal conductivity values.

For all additional information we are at your disposal.

Sewage sludge occurs in wastewater treatment process, regardles the wastewater technology applied. It presents up to 40% of wastewater treatment costs and therefore impacts every household water bill.

Sludge drying reed beds are a natural technology for sludge mineralisation, dewatering and stabilisation. The main benefits of the technology is its' low energy consumption and low operating costs. The technology is GHG emission-free. The case was contributed by LIMNOS Ltd.

The material obtained is humus, but in case of heavy metal containment, the material can be recycled for bioplastics.

For the compatibilization of humus into thermoplastic matrix the recycled polypropylene was chosen. To achive good distribution of humus inside the composite and also to prevent thermal and oxidative degradation lubricant, antioxidant and compatibilizer were added. Tests were done with addition of 15 wt.% and 30 wt.% of humus into the composite. The stiffness rise for 2 % and 13 %, the strength decreases for 15 % and 21 %, also the elongation at break decreases for 79 % and 87 % for the composites with 15 wt.% and 30 wt.% of humus respectively.

The sewage sludge can be used as filler for thermoplastic matrix for the static loaded parts with low deformation or low load. 

On Thursday,  24th and Friday 25th September, 2020, the Faculty of Polymer Technology is hosting an international conference MultiComp, the final meeting within the COST campaign CA15107 - Multi-Functional Nano-Carbon Composite Materials Network (MultiComp).