Press Releases

During BAU ONLINE 2021, the researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting possibilities for incorporating renewable raw materials such as wood foam, balsa wood and flax fibers into future-oriented applications. By means of 3D models of a stand-up paddleboard and a ceiling system module, the researchers will demonstrate the versatility of the possibilities for replacing petrochemical raw materials or concrete with renewable resources.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing a stand-up paddleboard with a lightweight sandwich element made from renewable raw materials. For the core, balsa wood from disused wind-energy rotor blades is being used - a sustainable solution for their high-quality recycling. The outer shell consists of bioplastics which are reinforced with regionally available flax fibers.

By means of an innovative bonding technology, high-performance timber-concrete composite elements can be produced faster and more easily. As a result of the new joining technology, which was developed by researchers in a cooperative project involving the Fraunhofer WKI, the composite elements become more competitive in comparison to pure concrete elements. The utilization of the renewable raw material wood can therefore be increased in the construction industry.

In collaboration with industrial partners, researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI are developing UV-curing materials for additive manufacturing with improved properties. The team thereby utilizes itaconic acid that has been biotechnologically extracted from renewable raw materials. The results of the project so far will be presented in a free virtual technology discussion hosted by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) on 11^th November 2020. It will take place within the framework of the “Formnext Connect” trade fair.

With natural insulation materials, buildings can be constructed with calculable safety. This is the outcome of an interdisciplinary research project with 12 research partners and widespread support from industry. Under the supervision of the Fraunhofer WKI, the researchers determined the characteristic material values which will enable extensive component tests, such as in sound insulation and fire protection, to be considerably reduced in the future. On the basis of the measurement of natural insulation materials, standards and building legislation can be adapted, enabling these insulation materials to be utilized more easily in the future.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI and the Thünen Institute of Wood Research have compared emissions from individual building materials with emissions from wall structures and with concentrations of volatile organic compounds in the indoor air of model houses. The result: Even under controlled conditions, emission measurements of individual materials rarely allow statements to be made concerning complete systems such as wall structures, let alone real residential buildings. In principle, however, system tests on entire components in large test chambers are suitable for approximating reality and describing the interactions between the emissions from the materials, thereby taking into account the structure of the construction. The examination of model systems does not, however, make it possible to provide precise information regarding emissions in real living situations, even in the foreseeable future, as the overall situation is significantly influenced by, for example, people and the weather.

Researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI and designers from the greenlab of the weißensee academy of art berlin cooperated within the framework research program of the Fraunhofer Network “Science, Art and Design” in order to develop application possibilities for the plant material lignin. This resulted in a variety of panel materials for furniture construction and a flexible leather alternative for the fashion industry. The path leading towards the aim of replacing petrochemical raw materials in the processing industry with lignin has thereby been shortened.

In order to increase the safety and economic efficiency of wind turbines, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, in collaboration with project partners, have developed a thermography robot for the internal inspection of rotor blades. The Fraunhofer WKI heat-flow thermography methods are already being successfully utilized for quality control of the external surface of rotor blades. Production defects close to the surface can thereby be determined. Now, imperfections on the inside of the rotor blade can also be detected.

Natural-fiber-reinforced plastics (NFRP) become more resilient when the natural fibers are encased in a special coating. This has been determined by researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI. Through the application of a resin layer and pressing to form a composite material, the NFRP exhibit improved mechanical, thermal and hygric properties and greater chemical stability. In the future, NFRP can consequently be utilized in considerably expanded areas of application, for example in the interior of vehicles.

The 12th European Wood-based Panel Symposium cannot take place this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the current hygiene regulations in Hamburg. A new date has, however, already been set: 12th to 14th October 2022.