A Combination of Diverse Elements

Dr. Tina Andrä Since April, chemist Tina Andrä has worked as Foresight Manager at Freudenberg Technology Inno­vation, focusing on materials and topics for the future such as hydrogen. She previously worked for more than five years at Freudenberg as a project manager in the material technologies field. She began her professional career as a lab manager at BASF Poly­urethanes GmbH. 

Organic chemists study the structure, prop­erties, and reactions of molecules that contain carbon. They also design and make new organic substances that have unique proper­ties and applications. These compounds, in turn, have been used to develop many commercial prod­ucts, such as pharmaceutical drugs and plastics. Organic chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with carbon compounds, and there are count­less compounds to be explored. Each new organic compound dazzles with unique properties that only result from a particular molecular structure. It is no different with teams: Where people are allowed to develop and can contribute their viewpoints and strengths, they produce more innovations in a shorter time. That is the reality, and the collabora­tion between chemist, Tina Andrä, and plastics engineer, Kira Truxius, shows that the development of innovative materials depends on it. 

Working together, they have pressed ahead with the development of a new class of plastics that had not previously existed. Even at temperatures of more than 1,000°C (1,832°F), the material known as “Quantix® ULTRA” does not melt. When the two experts are both at work in the technical center, where new materials are mixed and processed into granulate, people don’t realize that they actually work for two different compa­nies within the Freudenberg Group. Andrä coordi­nates research into future materials for Freuden­berg Technology Innovation, while Truxius looks for new thermoplastic applications for Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. 

Despite the differences, the life journeys of the two women have parallels. Andrä’s love for chemistry began in childhood when she browsed through the library of her grandfather, a chemistry teacher. The structure of complex molecules was merely a source of fascination in the beginning. Her under­standing grew, however, when she began taking science classes in school. After graduating from high school, she continued her education in chem­istry at the Chemnitz University of Technology. In Truxius’ case, it was initially her grandfather, a metallurgical engineer, who sparked her interest in technology. He and his granddaughter repaired vintage devices from a flea market. She was excited by the way tools are used. When she was still in primary school, she bought a pinball machine for 150 Deutschmarks. As it no longer worked, her inter­est in doing repairs was aroused. To this day, one of her hobbies is restoring and repairing pinball machines. The fact that Truxius ultimately chose to study plastics technology at the Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences has its roots in an earlier detour: She started college with the goal of becoming a dental technician, a career that would have involved using many malleable materials. She enjoys working with them – especially thermoplastics – and wants to build up her knowledge about them.