K.J.P. Ragaert
Kim Ragaert is full professor at the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE), holding the key domain chair of Circular Plastics within the department Circular Chemical Engineering (CCE).
Her lab and research group are on the Chemelot industrial site in Geleen. The Circular Plastics team focuses on structure-property-processing relationships in thermoplastics and translates these fundamentals to methods for increased quality and quantity in mechanical recycling of plastics. Committed also to educating the next generation of circular professions, she is the Chair of the educational programme committee of the BSc Circular Engineering at FSE.
Kim is a strong believer in value-chain cooperation and interdisciplinary research. She consults for organizations like Plastics Recyclers Europe, CEFLEX and ECOS, and works closely with industrial partners. Kim was the 2020 European Plastics Recycling Ambassador.
- structure-property-processing relations in thermoplastics
- plastic packaging
- mechanical recycling of plastics
- systems thinking for plastics recycling
- design for circularity
- design from recycling
Kim obtained her PhD in polymer processing at Ghent University in 2011 and focused her research on mechanical recycling of plastics soon after. Prior to accepting her current position at Maastricht University, she was associate professor at Ghent University and chair of the Plastics to Resource pipeline within CAPTURE.
