Patrycja Lewczuk completes her doctorate at the SKZ and takes over representation on the doctoral committee

Patrycja Lewczuk, PhD student at the SKZ Plastics Center in Würzburg, will start her doctorate in the field of accelerated aging testing of plastic products on October 15, 2024. Her research topic focuses on the high-pressure autoclave test (HPAT) as a modern and energy-efficient method for accelerated thermo-oxidative ageing of plastic products. The project is entitled: “Accelerated ageing processes for plastic backsheets on PV systems” and aims to develop new processes for accelerated ageing and improved detection of ageing effects.

“I am very pleased to be able to complete my doctorate at the SKZ and thus contribute to the further development of plastics technologies,” says Lewczuk. "The combination of scientific research and industrial practice is particularly appealing to me.

The scientific supervision is provided by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Hartmann (first supervisor) and Prof. Dr. Andreas Schiffler (second supervisor) from the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (THWS). Dr. Marcus Heindl, Head of the Test Laboratory Division at SKZ, will act as mentor for the doctorate.

In addition to her research work, Lewczuk was successfully elected to the doctoral committee of the doctoral center “Sustainable and Intelligent Systems” (NISys). The doctoral center is a cooperation between the Würzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (THWS), the Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences (TH AB) and the Coburg University of Applied Sciences (HSCO). In her role as doctoral candidate representative, she will represent the interests of doctoral candidates for two years. Her tasks include co-decision-making on the acceptance of new doctoral candidates as well as an advisory role in the admission to the doctoral procedure and the appointment of examination boards.

"We are delighted to have a committed and talented young scientist at SKZ in Ms. Lewczuk. Her research topic is highly topical and will contribute to further improving the durability and sustainability of plastic products," says Dr. Thomas Hochrein, Managing Director of SKZ-Testing GmbH.