Reference projects

Small city apartments, house moves, and changes in living and working circumstances: These days, furniture has to fulfill demanding requirements in terms of functionality and flexibility. In collaboration with research partners and companies, we develop furniture that meets these requirements and is furthermore sustainable. The starting point is the new and further development of compounds, foams and imitation leather made from lignin - a plant-based residual material from industry. The aim is the creation of modular, lightweight furniture that can be easily disassembled, transported, repaired and repurposed. In other words, the service life of the material should be as long as possible. A further focus of the project is the recyclability of the furniture - from entire assemblies through to the single-type separation and preparation of the individual materials. Possibilities for the transfer of materials to other areas of application – such as the fashion industry and the motorhome sector – are also being considered.

More and more houses are being insulated by means of external thermal insulation composite systems (ETICS). Whilst this saves energy, the façades are increasingly being colonized by algae. This is not only detrimental to the aesthetics but also to the diffusion capacity of the surface coating. Moisture damage can thereby result. In order to reduce algae growth, façade coatings containing biocides have often been used up to now. The problem here is that the biocides are leached out within a few years. Consequently, environmental pollution and increasing algae growth on the façade can occur. In collaboration with industry partners, we are developing a bio-based, weather-resistant façade paint that will physically prevent microbial growth. It could provide ETICS façades with long-term protection against algae - without any biocides whatsoever.

Houses made of wood are good for the climate and conserve finite resources such as concrete or steel. In particular, the construction of multi-story buildings and entire city quarters in timber construction offers great potential for achieving climate protection targets and strengthening the construction industry with a view to the future. By international standards, however, timber construction in Germany is still in its infancy. We want to change that. Together with project partners, we are investigating and optimizing the networking and cooperation of the players along the »urban timber construction« value chain, using the Berlin-Brandenburg region as an example. In this project, we at the Fraunhofer WKI are investigating the regionally available pine-wood product range in order to produce high-quality timber construction elements from it. The aim is to support metropolitan regions on their way to climate neutrality and to make the German construction industry fit for the future – based on renewable raw materials and closed, efficient resource cycles

Aerogels are highly porous, light-as-a-feather materials with extraordinary properties: extremely low thermal conductivity, low sound transmission, and a high adsorption effect on volatile organic compounds. They are excellently suited both for lightweight construction and as filter materials, and are therefore considered a material of the future. In collaboration with research and industrial partners, we are developing a process for the production of aerogels on the basis of waste wood. From the aerogels, we are creating prototypes of insulation materials and pollutant-adsorbing indoor-air filters that can be utilized in buildings and vehicles. Furthermore, transfer possibilities to applications in exhaust-gas cleaning are to be demonstrated. A further project objective: The raw materials required to manufacture the aerogels are to be recovered from the products. With this sustainable material solution, we are supporting health protection as well as the fight against climate change and resource scarcity.

Lightweight cars, trucks and trains made from renewable raw materials can contribute towards the protection of resources and the climate. As a joining technology for the production of lightweight components, adhesive bonding offers particular advantages and is therefore increasingly gaining in importance. In collaboration with research and industry partners, we are developing a bio-based, switchable PU adhesive for large surfaces. This should enable the production of panel-shaped laminated materials made from wood or wood and metal, which are not formed into 3D components until a later stage in the process chain. This opens up new possibilities for the flexible, economically efficient production of sustainable lightweight vehicles as well as for repair purposes and recycling. The special feature: Thanks to the re-detachable adhesive bond, it should be possible to separate the wood and metal according to type and with as little damage as possible.

Flexible wood-fiber mats are ideally suited for the thermal insulation of buildings - for example as between-rafter insulation or as a filling material for thermal-insulation bricks. Until now, wood-fiber insulation materials have been manufactured primarily from softwood. As a result of climate change, this will be available in significantly smaller quantities in the future. In order to secure the raw-material base for wood-fiber insulation materials and to expand their application potential, we are working in collaboration with industrial partners on the development of insulation mats and novel wood-foam granules made from beech-wood fibers. The project objective is the establishment of a pilot plant for material production. In this way, we are creating a sustainable perspective for the construction industry as well as a high-quality utilization possibility for beech wood, which will be increasingly available in the future due to climate-related forest restructuring. In order to exploit the resource “beech wood” even more efficiently, it would also be conceivable to utilize the new wood-foam granules as a filler for transport packaging.

Hybrid lightweight-construction materials made from renewable raw resources are increasingly gaining importance on the market. With such materials, resource- and climate-friendly products can be manufactured that fulfill several functions - for example, load-bearing construction products with integrated thermal and sound insulation as well as durable (upholstered) furniture and packaging. Efficient component geometries enable substantial weight savings with simultaneous high mechanical stability. In collaboration with research and industry partners, we are developing a process for the manufacture of complexly shaped products made from wood or agricultural materials and bioplastics by means of automated molding machines. One important component of the material and technology development is furthermore the highest possible material recyclability of the products after the end of the first period of use.

Fiber-reinforced plastics are suitable for resource-conserving and climate-friendly lightweight-construction solutions. They can make cars, building elements, furniture, containers and many other products more sustainable - particularly if renewable or recycled raw materials are thereby utilized. However, can the products also be easily recycled? Product design, technology, waste streams, economic efficiency: The influencing factors are extremely diverse. So how can marketable products made from fiber-reinforced plastics be conceptualized for a sustainable circular economy? In this project, we are working in collaboration with designer Jonathan Radetz on the development of an interdisciplinary method for this purpose. The development of a piece of seating furniture will enable us to test whether the method works in practice. Based on this, sustainable development methods could be developed in a similar way for other (composite) materials.

Climate change presents major challenges for the German forestry and timber industries. Extreme weather events and the mass reproduction of insect pests have caused enormous damage to the forests. In particular, spruce trees have fallen victim en masse to droughts, storms and bark beetles. The majority of the damaged or dead spruce trees cannot be harvested promptly. Some of them remain standing and lying for several years. Is the wood quality then still sufficient for the production of durable construction products or wood-based materials? Within the framework of this project, we are investigating this question in collaboration with partners from research and industry. With the creation of a guideline, we also intend to provide specific recommendations for action for forest owners and the timber industry.

In many buildings, the construction components must fulfill increased or high fire-protection regulations. Simultaneously, the requirements for the sustainability of the components are also rising. In collaboration with an industry partner, we are developing a highly fire-retardant drywall made from wood with a fire-resistance duration of at least 60 minutes. In order to achieve this, we are developing a non-combustible plywood panel as cladding. With this project, we are expanding the application possibilities of wood in residential buildings as well as in non-residential constructions such as office buildings, schools or hospitals - particularly in the higher building classes. In doing so, we are creating a sustainable solution for the construction industry and the wood-based materials industry. Through the use of domestic wood species, transport routes can be kept short and new sales markets can be created for the German forestry sector.