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We are deeply saddened by the loss of our colleague Dr. Brigitte Dix who died suddenly and unexpectedly on November 27, 2015, at the age of 64.

Dr. Dix was born in Rinteln near Hanover, Germany, in 1951. She studied biology from 1970 to 1975 at the Technical University (TU) of Braunschweig. After graduation, she was a doctoral candidate at the German Research Centre for Biotechnology (GBF) in the Department of Biotechnology and obtained her doctorate in 1978 at the Institute for Biochemistry and Biotechnology of the TU Braunschweig. In 1979, Dr. Brigitte Dix joined the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI, as a research assistant. Between 1979 and 2003, she worked as a research scientist in the Department of Chemical Technology and Environmental Research (now: Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry). From 2003 onwards, Dr. Dix worked in the Department of Technology for Wood-based Materials.

Dr. Brigitte Dix conducted research which focused on the processing, evaluation and use of wood-based materials and products such as particleboard, fiberboard and plywood. The core part of her research was the development and evaluation of adhesives, in particular those based on renewable resources, for wood-based materials. Her work on, for example, tannin-based resins from bark extracts, has gained significant impact and remains a relevant topic in view of recent efforts in the development of bio-based adhesives for the wood-based panels industry. Her publications on processing and properties of fiberboards based on (chemo-)thermo-mechanical pulp achieved great recognition in the academic community as well as in industry. A large amount of Dr. Dix’ work was published in close cooperation with Prof. Edmone Roffael at University of Göttingen and in earlier years with Prof. Rainer Marutzky, former director of Fraunhofer WKI. More recently, Dr. Dix has shifted her research focus towards efforts to reduce emissions from wood-based materials and products as well as towards the development of compression-molded 3D-parts based on combinations of natural fibers and thermoplastics as well as thermosets. In total, Dr. Brigitte Dix contributed to around 400 publications and 50 patents. Most of her scientific papers have been published in the European Journal of Wood and Wood Products (formerly, Holz als Roh- und Werkstoff). Dr. Dix was also a frequent and competent reviewer for this journal.

During her 36 years at the WKI, Dr. Dix played a key role in shaping the institute. She was also a member of the WKI works council from 1993 onwards. Despite her pending retirement, she had many novel ideas and plans for future research projects. She was renowned for her thorough and meticulous attitude towards research and her discipline, hard work and high reliability. In addition to her extensive scientific and technological expertise, Brigitte Dix had a sympathetic ear for everyone, possessed great empathy and was known and loved by all for her warm-heartedness.

We and our colleagues at Fraunhofer WKI as well as her many collaborators and friends greatly miss Dr. Brigitte Dix, and our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with her family.

Arne Schirp, Tunga Salthammer and Bohumil Kasal

Fraunhofer WKI, January 22, 2016