Focus on innovation and research: Review of the 39th Polymer Processing Society Conference

Cartagena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with colonial charm and vibrant culture, proved to be the perfect venue for this important event. The conference took place at the prestigious Hilton Cartagena Hotel and attracted numerous experts and scientists from all over the world to present and discuss the latest advances and innovations in polymer processing.

The Department of Polymer Engineering at Montanuniversität Leoben was involved in this year's conference with numerous scientists presenting their cutting-edge research:

• Clemens Holzer (Head of KV): Bio-Based Backbone for Highly-Reactive Metal Alloys Feedstocks for MEX
• Gerald Pinter (Head of WPK): Influence of Processing Methods on the Crack Resistance of a Polypropylene/Recyclate Blend
• Stephan Schuschnigg (Senior Scientist, KV): Simulation of the Melting Region in Additive Manufacturing Material Extrusion Dies for Highly Filled Feedstocks
• Gabriel Stadler (PostDoc WPK): Influence of Fiber Orientation and Temperature on the Creep-Fatigue Behavior of Short Fiber Reinforced High-Performance Polymers

A highlight of the conference was the keynote presentation by Nina Krempl (Researcher KV) from Montanuniversität Leoben entitled "Unlocking the Potential of Recycled Polypropylene in Food Packaging".

Other notable presentations were:

• Christoph Waly (PhD WPK): Exploring the Interplay Between Process, Structure, and Resulting Properties in Polymeric Multi-material Composites Inspired by Lithomimetics Principle
• Kateřina Plevová (PhD WPK): Tailoring Morphology of Polymer Composites from Multilayer Film Waste
• Ivan Raguz (PhD KV): An Investigation on The Effects of Post-Industrial Glass Fiber Flakes on the Properties of Recycled Polypropylene

The 39th International Conference of the Polymer Processing Society provided an excellent platform for the exchange of innovative ideas and groundbreaking research results and left a lasting impression on all participants.