Manfred H. Wagner

Technical University of Berlin

Polymer Physicist

Fellow, Elected 2017

Prof. Manfred H. Wagner is a professor in the Department of Polymer Technology and Polymer Physics at the Technical University of Berlin in Germany. He studied physics and physical chemistry at the University of Stuttgart in Germany and at Oregon State University in the United States. Dr Wagner received his Ph.D. in Physics in 1973 from Stuttgart University.

During his extensive career, Prof. Wagner’s research has focused on polymer processing, product development, and recycling. Specifically, within the field of polymer processing, he has studied the rheology of polymer melts, detailed rheological analysis of polymer processing operations, crystallization of polymers from solutions/melts, mini-scale processing and rheological testing of small quantities of polymeric material. His research on polymer materials and product development has focused on structure-property relationships for polymers, polymer-metal precursors for high-temperature superconducting films, compatibilization of nano-particles used as fillers, polymeric and polymer-coated stents and catheters with shape-memory effects, polymers as drug-delivery systems, and the optimization of wear behavior of artificial hip joints. Prof. Wagner’s research on polymer recycling concentrated on reprocessing production scraps and packaging waste and polymer recycling by dissolution/precipitation.

Throughout his career he has worked in both academic and industrial settings, first as an industrial researcher with SIGRI GmbH (now SGL Carbon) for 12 years, then as a professor for “computational fluid dynamics/rheology” at Stuttgart University for 11 years and, most recently, as a professor of polymer engineering at the Technical University of Berlin. He has been a professor of polymer engineering at TU Berlin since 1999.

His academic contributions to the field of rheology have awarded him several distinctions. Prof. Wagner received the Annual Award of the British Society of Rheology in 1981, the Swinburne Award of the Institute of Materials in 2002, and the Weissenberg Award of the European Society of Rheology in 2011. In addition to his academic contributions, Prof. Wagner has been extremely active in service to the rheological community; he served as President of the German Society of Rheology from 1991 to 2003, Secretary of the European Society of Rheology from 1996 to 2005, President of the European Society of Rheology from 2005 to 2009, and Secretary of the International Committee of Rheology from 2004 to 2016.