Materials Research
for sustainable energy and industry. Materials Research at Karlstad University has a long tradition as a strong research environment. The core of Materials Research are scientists in Materials Engineering, Materials Physics, Physical Chemistry and Mechanical Engineering. Collaborations and cooperations with other Universities, research institutes and companies are important and intense.
News
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2026-06-24
Karlstad University in EU project on solar-based plastic recycling
Karlstad University is participating in the new EU-funded project SPECTRA, coordinated by Ergang Wang at Chalmers University of Technology. SPECTRA aims to develop new technologies in which solar energy is used to convert plastic waste into valuable resources.
Within the project, Karlstad University will develop computational and AI-assisted tools to accelerate the discovery and optimisation of materials and processes. Moyses Araujo, Professor of Physics, is leading Karlstad University’s part of the project.
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2026-06-02
Efficient and sustainable organic solar cells
Organic solar cells are highlighted as a promising future technology. They are flexible, lightweight and can be manufactured at low cost in large volumes. In recent years, their efficiency has surpassed 20 per cent. However, despite this progress, a crucial challenge remains: lifetime.
In a new doctoral thesis at Karlstad University, Suraj Prasad shows why the materials degrade and how the problem can be addressed.
“We already have high efficiency. The main challenge now is to make the solar cells last,” says Suraj Prasad.
Light and oxygen trigger degradation
In the study, organic solar cell materials were exposed to simulated sunlight in air. The results show that degradation is driven by chemical reactions in which oxygen plays a central role.
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2026-02-17
International Exchange within Physics Education
Research and teaching environments were presented, along with good examples of teaching that promotes active learning and strengthens research‑based education.
– Between 9 and 13 February, we welcomed a delegation from the Department of Physics at the University of Bucharest, Romania, says Andrea Muntean, Senior Lecturer in Physics. They visited us within the framework of Erasmus+ and as a continuation of a visit in 2025, when our colleague Lorena Solvang travelled to Bucharest. Our guests work at the Division of Matter Structure, Atmospheric and Geophysics, and Astrophysics, where Sandra Voinea serves as Prefect.
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2025-12-19
New Dissertation on High-Quality Steel
In a study, phD student Katerina Chantziara has investigated what causes steel fatigue and what makes it break. The aim of the research is to contribute to improved durability.
– I have studied different martensitic tool steels and examined what happens inside the material when it is subjected to stress, and what ultimately causes it to fracture, says Katerina Chantziara, PhD student in physics.
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2025-12-19
New Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering with Data-Driven Specialization
Karlstad University Launches New Master’s Program in Mechanical Engineering with Data-Driven Specialization.
The new Master’s program in Mechanical Engineering – Specialization in Data-Driven Mechanical Engineering, set to begin in August 2026. This innovative program reflects the growing importance of data analytics and computational methods in modern mechanical engineering, preparing graduates to meet the challenges of Industry 4.0 and beyond.
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2025-12-08
WISE supports solar cell research
Research on organic solar cells at Karlstad University is now taking another step forward, thanks to support from WISE, the Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability.
The sun is an enormous resource and increasingly important for electricity production. Roughly one to two hours of sunlight hitting the Earth corresponds to the entire annual energy consumption of humanity. At Karlstad University, researchers are working on developing more efficient organic solar cells, which offer several advantages such as flexibility and low production costs.
