News

• 2026-10-07

  Stronger Paper with Fibrillated Cellulose

  How can forest-based materials be made stronger, more functional and at the same time contribute to a more sustainable industry? This is a question being explored by doctoral researcher Morassa Raouf.

  Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) are renewable materials with a large surface area and an excellent ability to form dense networks. They have the potential to be used in applications ranging from paper reinforcement and packaging coatings to future membrane technologies. One challenge, however, is that their production requires energy-intensive fibrillation and that the materials are difficult to dewater once they have been finely dispersed.

• 2026-10-01

  EXACT Research School Autumn Meeting

  Cleaner process air, efficient energy use, and clothing made from recycled textile waste were among the topics in focus when the EXACT Industrial Research School brought together PhD candidates and industry partners for its autumn meeting at Gammelkroppa Forest School on 30 September.

  During the autumn meeting, doctoral students presented their ongoing research projects, while industry representatives provided insights into current challenges and development needs within their sectors. Participating companies included Absolent, Thermia, Blue Ocean Closures, Lixea, Nordic Paper, Rottneros and Circulose.

  A common theme throughout the day was the transition towards a more sustainable and resource-efficient industry.

• 2026-09-25

  French Students Explore Future Building Materials

  How can recycled wood fibres be used to create sustainable construction materials that also store carbon for long periods of time? This is one of the questions being investigated by two exchange students from France.

  Aylal Gaultier and Robin Grandzinski are engineering students at Supmicrotech in France. They are spending six months at Karlstad University through an international collaboration led by Marcus Vinícius Tavares da Costa, Assistant Professor of Building Technology.

  “Supmicrotech is a French higher education institution that trains engineers, and we would like to strengthen our collaboration with them. Aylal and Robin are currently studying here as exchange students, and we hope to welcome more students to Building Technology in the future,” says Marcus Vinícius Tavares da Costa.

• 2026-09-21

  From Old Clothes to New Fibres

  Every year, millions of tonnes of cotton are produced worldwide, while vast quantities of textiles are discarded or incinerated. Although cotton consists of almost pure cellulose, only a small proportion of the material is recycled into new textiles.

  In her mid-term study, Elise Meurs, an industrially associated PhD candidate in the EXACT Research School, investigates how cellulose pulp derived from recycled cotton behaves during the initial stages of the viscose process, the industrial method used to produce regenerated cellulose fibres. The aim is to enable the large-scale use of textile waste and thereby reduce the need for virgin raw materials from forests or cotton cultivation.

• 2026-09-08

  Collaboration in Focus as the Knowledge Foundation Visits Karlstad University

  On 7 September, representatives from the Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen) visited Karlstad University to gain deeper insight into how the university collaborates with industry in research and education. During the visit, several projects were presented in which the university and companies work together to develop new knowledge and strengthen Sweden’s competitiveness.

  Throughout the day, the representatives from the Knowledge Foundation met researchers and academic staff from the Pro2Be research environment and the Department of Computer Science. The aim was to gain a better understanding of how the university works with research, education and skills development in partnership with companies and organisations.

• 2026-08-13

  Three New Research Projects on Sustainable Energy and the Circular Bioeconomy

  The NewDePT (New Development for Pellet Technology) research group at Karlstad University has secured funding for three new research projects. Supported by the Richert Foundation and Vinnova, the projects focus on long-term storage of biofuel pellets, resource recovery from sewage sludge, and the sustainable utilisation of forestry industry residues.

  Pellets for Enhanced Energy Security

  This project will investigate how pellets produced from alternative and blended biomass feedstocks can be manufactured and stored safely and efficiently. Led by Associate Professor Magnus Ståhl, the project will run from September 2026 to June 2028.