Charlotta Turner and the Green Technology Group (GTG)

Charlotta Turner works at the Department of Chemistry at Lund University where she once took a Master’s in Chemistry and where she completed her PhD in Analytical Chemistry in 2001.

Green Technology Group

In her role, Charlotta works closely with the Green Technology Group , whose research is about replacing organic solvents such as hexane with carbon dioxide and water. If this could be achieved in industry, the environmental benefits would be huge. In the group and its collaborations with other universities and research groups around the world, everything from basic research to innovation ideas is found. The technology used is called ‘supercritical fluid technology’ and involves setting carbon dioxide and water in a subcritical or supercritical state, in which they acquire similar properties to organic solvents.

Water-resistant surfaces

One of Charlotta’s research projects is about using green technology to produce water-resistant surfaces, something that today is primarily achieved with complicated, environmentally damaging technology. Interest in these superhydrophobic surfaces is very high and obtaining research funding has not been a problem. Carbon dioxide in a supercritical state is used to dissolve different types of wax. The solution is then sprayed over different surfaces, which breaks the supercritical state and the carbon dioxide returns to its normal form, while the wax crystallises and attaches to the surfaces, making them water-resistant. This is an environmentally friendly way to produce water-resistant surfaces, which is greatly needed both in industry and in society as a whole. The research is carried out in collaboration with two research groups in Fibre and Polymer Technology at KTH.

Strategic research

In the Formas-funded strategic research project SureTech , researchers are working to extract valuable substances such as anthocyanins from agricultural and forestry waste before it is turned into biogas or incinerated. While the GTG is conducting detailed research on the extraction process, an economics researcher within the group is studying the social and financial benefits of the research, the environmental aspects in society and the jobs that this could create within the industry. A researcher in environmental and energy systems is studying the environmental impact of the new processes and two chemists from Uppsala University are working on the extraction of substances and chemical analysis. Eva Nordberg Karlsson from the Department of Chemistry is also working on the project, developing thermostable enzymes that are used in some of the processes. There is also interaction with industry to get their ideas and take their needs into account.

New laboratories

In October 2010, a new extraction lab and high pressure fluid lab were opened at Kemicentrum - one of the largest research units for chemistry in Northern Europe, located at Lund University. With the new laboratories, Charlotta hopes that sustainable high-pressure methods for extraction, separation, synthesis and particle bonding will blossom and lead to new exciting collaborations across disciplinary boundaries. A lot of work is currently underway to set up ventilation and safety equipment and pipes for carbon dioxide.

Many irons in the fire

As well as her research at the Centre for Analysis and Synthesis (CAS) at the Department of Chemistry, Charlotta is still employed as a research fellow at the Swedish Research Council, teaches on PhD courses in sustainable development and has started up a PhD course in supercritical fluid technology this year. She is involved in an innovation programme in Stockholm on behalf of Vinnova/SSF and is planning to renovate the mass spectrometry laboratory at the Centre for Analysis and Synthesis. She is also on the Board of CEC, the Centre for Environmental and Climate Research , and has recently accepted a senior research position from the Swedish Research Council in “Analytical Chemistry for Sustainable Development”.