Safripol donated a Dr Collin laboratory cast film line and a Dr Collin laboratory blown film line to the Institute of Applied Materials in the Department of Chemical Engineering of Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology. Safripol is a major South African manufacturer of polymers and supplies polypropylene and high-density polyethylene to the converting industry for the manufacture of a wide range of packaging and industrial end products.

Prof Walter Focke, Head of the Institute of Applied Materials and well known for his applied research in the fight against malaria, is proud to partner with Safripol. These machines will be used for research projects on polymers and nanotechnology, and to train students in polymer conversion technology.

Dr Collin is a renowned manufacturer of laboratory polymer processing equipment. These state-of-the-art machines will enable students to transform the research they have done on paper into practical innovations. The Department is therefore very grateful for this valuable addition to their polymer processing and converting laboratory.

Prof Focke has expressed his sincere appreciation for Safripol’s support of polymer-based training and research at the University of Pretoria. He said: ‘In these times of economic difficulty, it is very tough to secure the funding necessary to procure such large-capital equipment. This donation provides technology that will improve the pace and accuracy of current research efforts at the Institute of Applied Materials.’

The Dean of the Faculty, Prof Sunil Maharaj, indicated that it is a great milestone in the 60 years of engineering education at UP. He said that such a generous investment, partnership and support from Safripol will make a distinct contribution to the Faculty’s goals of enhancing its internationally competitive research, teaching and learning while contributing to the economic impact that industry has in these challenging times.