Jasna Stevanic Srndovic’s thesis present results that provide a better understanding of polymer interactions within the primary cell wall of spruce wood fibers and its implications for the energy demand in the refining process. She demonstrates how applying a low degree of sulphonation pre-treatment to spruce wood chips caused a weakening of these molecular interactions, as well as an increased softening and swelling of the material, thereby reducing the energy consumption within the refining process.Large quantities of polymers, such as cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin, recovered from residual materials from the paper industry and agriculture, can be used to produce new renewable packaging materials. In her work, Jasna Stevanic Srndovic has investigated the ultra structure of the secondary cell wall of spruce wood fibers, and has tried to imitate the structures found in wood fibers by preparing bio composites and evaluating these as packaging materials.“Nature’s unique material structures have many excellent qualities,” she explains. “For example, they can withstand variations in climatic conditions. By attempting to imitate these synthetically, it may be possible to develop new bio-based materials with adapted qualities. I’ve produced hemicellulose films with improved mechanical properties by strengthening these with nanocellulose.” “Increased knowledge regarding the interactions between the wood polymers is very important in order to be able to separate these in a better way, for use in new materials and other applications,” says Lennart Salmén, head of the Fiber and Material Science group at Innventia.