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  • Compostable Single-Use Tableware made from beet pulp

    Press release from Fraunhofer's “Research News” (issue 07-2025) / July 01, 2025

    The picture shows in the center a plate made of a dark brown material. Next to it lies drawn silverware.
    © Fraunhofer WKI

    To protect the environment, especially the ocean, many single-use plastic products are banned in the EU. But single-use products made from unmodified natural polymers are allowed. With this in mind, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have teamed up with partners to develop compostable single-use tableware based on local agricultural residue from sugar production.

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  • The photo shows the cut edge of a wooden panel that consists of several layers of beech wood which are glued to one another. The bonding has begun to detach, causing the layers of wood to separate from each other. The top layer has bulged and is fractured.
    © Fraunhofer WKI | Manuela Lingnau

    Whether in 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, however, has not yet been sufficiently researched. Common methods for testing the durability in outdoor areas are either time-consuming or, as a result of their requirements, not relevant in practice. Both can lead to considerable cost increases for manufacturers and customers. In collaboration with the Department of Separating and Joining Manufacturing Processes (TFF) at the University of Kassel, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have therefore developed a realistic rapid-aging procedure that can be used, in particular, by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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  • The picture shows a sketch of the demonstrator. A wall with two openings, three meters long and two meters high. On the top of the wall there is a spotlight on one side and a sensor on the other. A man is standing in front of the wall.
    © Fraunhofer WKI

    At LIGNA 2025, researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting a new type of curtain-wall element as a sustainable solution for the renovation and modernization of buildings. Not only durable raw materials such as robinia wood are thereby utilized: Less durable wood species such as spruce, poplar and kiri have also been optimized using bio-based coatings. As a result, the entire application spectrum of wood-based materials for building façades is thereby showcased. The exhibit can be seen at LIGNA 2025, Hall 26, Stand B78 from the 26th to the 30th of May 2025 in Hanover.

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  • The photo shows a section of a building corner from the inside with a floor area of approximately 1 meter by 1 meter. The floor, walls, and ceiling are cut away in such a way that the insulation materials inside can be seen. All elements are made of various biomaterials, including wooden beams as the supporting structure, wood-based panels for cladding, and natural fiber insulation mats in the walls and floor.
    © Fraunhofer WKI | Manuela Lingnau

    At LIGNA 2025, the Fraunhofer WKI and the Institute of Building Construction and Timber Structures from the Technische Universität Braunschweig will be presenting groundbreaking approaches for a resource-conserving and climate-friendly construction industry. The trade-fair presentation in Hall 11, Stand F85, will showcase activities in research and teaching revolving around the topic of building with wood and other renewable raw materials: from natural-fiber insulation materials, through timber-concrete composite systems, and on to recycling management.

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  • The photo shows a metallic apparatus in which a piece of spruce plywood is clamped. The piece of wood is being directly flamed by means of a gas flame which is positioned in front of it. On the wood, an oval dark brown patch (charring) is forming in the area of the flame.
    © Fraunhofer WKI | Manuela Lingnau

    At LIGNA 2025, researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI will be demonstrating that bio-based flame-retardant coatings can provide durable fire protection for wooden furniture. A honeycomb-shaped shelf unit with the novel flame-retardant coating, as well as other exhibits, can be seen at LIGNA 2025, Hall 26, Stand B78 from the 26th to the 30th of May 2025 in Hanover.

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  • The photo shows a construction site, with a construction worker in the centre and a quarter shell being moved by a crane.
    © Fraunhofer WKI | Malte Mérono

    The Fraunhofer WKI is developing innovative solutions for increasing recyclability in the wind-energy sector. By taking the recyclability of rotor blades into account during their construction process, the researchers are ensuring sustainability in the material cycle. Through their expertise in the bonding of wood and hybrid components, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have furthermore enabled the construction of what is currently the tallest wooden tower for commercial wind turbines. The Fraunhofer WKI will be showcasing its expertise at LIGNA 2025, Hall 26, Stand B78, with an exhibit featuring the wooden wind-turbine tower, a rotor blade, and recycled products made from rotor blades.

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  • The photo shows three panel-shaped material samples made from white, solid foam with top layers comprised of various materials.
    © Fraunhofer ICT

    In collaboration with project partners, the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting heatable, recyclable and optionally illuminable lightweight-construction materials on the joint stand “Schaufenster Bioökonomie” (Bioeconomy Showcase) hosted by Project Management Jülich (PtJ) and the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR). On the joint stand, research results will be presented from current bioeconomy projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In the future, this innovative material could be utilized not only in vehicles but also in tiny houses, for example.

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  • The photo shows a white component in the shape of a pyramid without a tip. There is an oval indentation on the top.
    © Fraunhofer WKI | Manuela Lingnau

    Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed a bio-based, three-dimensional sandwich structure specifically for lightweight-construction applications in the mobility sector, which is suitable for incorporation into the shell of a caravan. The scientists increased the proportion of renewable raw materials and, at the same time, avoided the utilization of dissimilar materials in order to improve recyclability within the closed loop. The sandwich component can be seen on the Fraunhofer joint stand at the Hannover Messe from 31st March to 4th April 2025.

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  • The computer graphic shows a simplified visualization of the building construction.
    © Fraunhofer WKI

    At BAU 2025 in Munich, researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting a building construction made from high-quality pine wood components, a wooden beam comprised of reclaimed waste wood, and with insulation materials made from renewable raw materials as well as insulation materials featuring fungal mycelium as an innovative binding agent. With this model, the researchers are demonstrating resource-conserving innovations for building using recycled materials such as waste wood or hemp hurds.

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  • The photo shows a test specimen made of wood and concrete with a layer of adhesive through which light shines.
    © Fraunhofer WKI | Anna Lissel

    Building with wood provides an important contribution towards climate protection. By combining wood and concrete, the Fraunhofer WKI is significantly expanding the range of applications for timber constructions. By means of a novel bonding technology, an accelerated production of wood-concrete composite elements (WCC elements) has been made possible. The aim is to establish construction with WCC elements in multi-story buildings as a competitive alternative to pure precast reinforced concrete components.

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