Technology for Wood and Natural Fiber-Based Materials

With support from the Fraunhofer WKI, designer Sofia Souidi is developing a formaldehyde-free material made from wood fibers and casein - a binder that was already being used as an adhesive many centuries ago. Mixed-in color pigments and granulates combined with 3D moldability enable a diverse range of design possibilities. The material is to be made, amongst other things, from recycled components and should itself be recyclable.

What will we use to make lightweight wood-based materials when there is no longer any spruce? In collaboration with the University of Göttingen, we are developing high-performance lightweight materials from hardwood. In doing so, we are contributing towards the efficient utilization of semi-natural mixed forests. The wood-based materials industry can benefit from the sustainable raw-material security and new marketing opportunities.

In order to enable a more extensive utilization of wood-based materials in high-rise construction and public buildings, flame-retardant treatment is necessary. In this project, we are developing a bio-adhesive on the basis of lignin, which simultaneously serves as a flame retardant. Furthermore, we are thereby opening up an ecologically and economically interesting application possibility for lignin.

How can the utilization of wood resources be optimized in such a way that the smallest-possible amount of forest area is used in order to build a house? What building materials are needed for this purpose and what can be saved through recycling? What ecological and economic advantages does this bring for urban and rural areas? The aim in this international project is to build two demonstration houses. At the Fraunhofer WKI, we are developing flame-retardant bio-materials for this purpose.

In this project, we are developing flame-retardant, heat and impact resistant bioplastics and biocomposites which which can be processed by means of injection molding and 3D printing. Products such as light switches, sockets, motion detectors, cable ducts or charging stations for electric vehicles could soon be produced from biomaterials. 

Whether buildings or vehicles: Many load-bearing components can now be made from wood, in particular from bonded wood-based materials and hybrid materials. Their aging behavior has, however, not been sufficiently researched up to now. In collaboration with Kassel University, we are developing a realistic rapid-aging procedure that can be utilized in particular by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Wind energy is a mainstay of the energy revolution. The technical reliability of wind turbines is therefore constantly gaining in importance. Conventional inspection procedures require direct access to the rotor blades. Together with our project partners, we are striving within this project to achieve a simpler solution: inspection by means of a drone and passive thermography.