Researcher of the month is Pauliina Pitkänen

Pauliina Pitkänen is currently working at Industrial Synthesis team at VTT as a researcher and works also as a project manager in several projects. She is a researcher in the Biochemicals for protection of goods and health project, which belongs to the research program FuBio (Future Biorefinery) of the Forestcluster Ltd. In 2006, Pauliina graduated from University of Helsinki. Her Master's thesis considers upgrading of suberin acids of birch bark and the work led to a patent application.

Biochemicals for protection of goods and health project focuses on finding biologically active natural compounds and development of applications for the use of the compounds. The goal of Pauliina’s research is to develop new type of polymers in which fossil oil based products are replaced with bio based and bio degradation products. The new polymers also have to be competitive (quality, property, price) with current industrial products.

The current research focuses on industrial shunt-wounds e.g. tall oil fatty acids and tall oil rosin which increases the product’s friendliness to the environment. Tall oil is by-product of Kraft process in wood pulp manufacture and it is already used to various applications. The results from this research can be used in e.g. packaging applications to protect goods from water, oxygen or other harmful effects.

The best thing in her work is the close connection between chemistry, material sciences and product development. The benefits for Pauliina to work in this kind of large project FuBio is co-operation and interaction between research partners.

When not working, Pauliina spends time in renovating her house and participating dance courses.