19 May 2026
Shaping the Future of Sustainable Composites
A successful partnership between CelluXtreme, KTH, and WISE is redefining what sustainable materials can achieve and deliver.
24 May 2026
WISE celebrates important milestone
“Undertaking my PhD under the WISE framework has been a wonderful opportunity and positive experience thus far. It has connected me with a strong network of outstanding researchers and provided a collaborative environment focused on solution-oriented research for a more sustainable future,” says Patrick Korir, PhD student at LTU and Höganäs.
From left: Kumar Babu Surreddi (chairman, co-supervisor), Dimitris Chasoglou (industrial supervisor Höganäs), Patrick Korir (industrial PhD-student Höganäs), Marta-Lena Antti (academic supervisor LTU), Henrik Karlsson (discussion leader Volvo Group).
WISE proudly congratulates WISE industrial PhD student Patrick Korir on successfully completing his licentiate exam. On 23 April 2026, Patrick presented his thesis, “Master alloy route for hardenability enhancement in powder metallurgy steels: atomisation techniques and sintering.”
Patrick’s WISE industrial PhD project, “Sustainable solutions for high-performance PM steels,” is a collaboration between Luleå University of Technology and Höganäs. His supervisors are Prof. Marta-Lena Antti from LTU and Dimitris Chasoglou from Höganäs. The discussion was led by Dr. Henrik Karlsson, Principal Materials Engineer at the Steel and Mechanical Testing Division at Volvo Group. During his PhD studies, Patrick has published two scientific articles.
–Patrick has done an excellent job, and it has been a pleasure to follow his development. It’s an important milestone both for him and for us, says Marta-Lena Antti, Professor and Head of Engineering Materials, Luleå University of Technology.
Patrick’s licenciate work focused on the master alloy (MA) method for improving the hardenability of powder metallurgy (PM) steels using low-carbon-footprint alloying elements such as Cr, Mn, Si, and B, while overcoming challenges linked to oxygen sensitivity. The optimized Cr–Mn–Si–B master alloys achieved mechanical properties comparable to, or better than, conventional Ni-alloyed PM steels, demonstrating strong potential as a more sustainable alternative.
–Undertaking my PhD under the WISE framework has been a wonderful opportunity and positive experience thus far. It has connected me with a strong network of outstanding researchers and provided a collaborative environment focused on solution-oriented research for a more sustainable future. I would like to express sincere gratitude to my supervisors for the support and mentorship towards achieving this milestone and WISE for making it possible in a seamless way, says Patrick Korir, industrial PhD student at LTU and Höganäs.
Link to his thesis: FULLTEXT01.pdf
Patrick’s WISE project can be found:
