RSS feed: Press releases

Textile-reinforced concrete components with a sustainable natural-fiber reinforcement possess sufficient bond and tensile load-bearing behavior for the utilization in construction. This has been verified by researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI in collaboration with Biberach University of Applied Sciences and the industrial partner FABRINO. In the future, textile-reinforced components with natural-fiber reinforcement could therefore replace conventionally reinforced concrete components and improve the environmental balance in the construction industry.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI and the Fraunhofer IAP, in collaboration with industrial partners, have achieved initial success in the development of bio-based flame retardants in bioplastics. In the future, it could therefore be possible to utilize plastics in electronics and electrical engineering that consist of 100 percent bio-based materials. Within the framework of the research project, processing was tested by means of compounding, injection molding and additive manufacturing.

The Fraunhofer WKI will show four-meter-long sections of a wooden crash-barrier for road construction at the International Green Week, which takes place in Berlin from January 20 to 29. The sustainable crash-barrier is intended to be compatible with existing systems, just as durable and financially competitive. It is currently being developed in a research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) through the project management agency Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e. V. (FNR).

Renewable raw resources and bio-based processes can provide a decisive contribution towards the replacement of fossil materials. This is the conclusion of a roadmap presented by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft to politicians and the public in Berlin on 2^nd December 2022.

What reactions take place in indoor areas and what reaction products are thereby formed? In which ways are humans exposed to air pollutants in the indoor environment? Scientists at the Fraunhofer WKI investigate complex chemical processes in indoor air and conduct research into human exposure to airborne compounds in relation to environmental influences, building and furnishing products, clothing and body-care products as well as personal consumption habits. With the newly acquired “Proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer” (PTR-TOF-MS), the researchers are now able to perform measurements with even greater precision and higher temporal resolution.

With the new office building in Hanover, the Fraunhofer WKI “Application Center HOFZET^®” and the Hochschule Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts’ “IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites” are closing ranks even more densely. The cooperation between the two institutions will be continued and intensified as a result of the move in November 2022.

First place in the 2022 Fraunhofer Communication Award goes to “Grünes Wasser” (Green Water), a project that has brought new life to the “Fleete” (canals) of Hamburg’s city center, with the participation of the general public. Once filled with boats, sailors and goods from all over the world, the waterways are now largely unused and devoid of vegetation. Christoph Pöhler from the Fraunhofer WKI and Beate Kapfenberger and Martha Starke from the design studio “morgen.” have developed floating islands which are made from a lightweight material that consists entirely of renewable raw materials and upon which plants can be grown. During a participatory action in June 2022, which was accompanied by cross-media, the islands were endowed with their plants and then launched into the water.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, in collaboration with three universities, have developed two lecture modules on the utilization of renewable raw materials in the construction industry. The modules cover renewable raw materials from their extraction through to their utilization in the construction industry. This future-oriented qualification of young technical and scientific talent increases the chances for the subsequent utilization of renewable raw materials in the construction industry.

In collaboration with designer Jonathan Radetz, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed a lightweight item of seating furniture whose seat shell and upholstery are produced in one single step from a material known as organic sheet. The project team investigated whether used textiles can be utilized in order to manufacture an item of seating furniture in accordance with both aesthetic and sustainable criteria. The manufacturing principle can be transferred to other areas of application, such as the interior outfitting of cars.

On the 12^th of October 2022, the Wood-based Panel Symposium in Hamburg kicked off with an evening event. The Fraunhofer WKI and the European Panel Federation (EPF) are organising the networking event for the 12^th time in cooperation with the International Association for Technical Wood Issues (iVTH). From the 12^th to 14^th of October 2022, the Wood-Based Panel Symposium offers the approximately 320 participants the opportunity for an exchange on the most important trends and challenges in the wood-based panel industry.

As of October 1, 2022, the Fraunhofer network “Science, Art and Design” has new speakers: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Welf-Guntram Drossel (Fraunhofer IWU) and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Krzywinski (Fraunhofer IVI). The former speakers Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bohumil Kasal and Prof. Dr. Matthias Klingner were given a ceremonial farewell.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have collaborated with an industrial partner on the production of injection-molded transport boxes that are more rigid than conventional small load carriers but nevertheless still impact-resistant. For the production, they used discarded transport boxes as well as recycled PET fibers in order to close the material cycle.

How can buildings be constructed in the most resource-efficient, cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing way possible? Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI combine different materials to create high-performance building elements with a minimum of materials and energy. This conserves resources, protects the climate and expand the architectural design leeway. A new video provides insight into these novel hybrid material systems.

Are building materials and other materials made from renewable raw materials forward-looking or just a modern trend? Are they really sustainable? These were the questions posed by Professor Bohumil Kasal, Institute Director of the Fraunhofer WKI, to an international audience from wood research and the construction industry at the “Woodrise 2022” conference.

Since July 1, 2022, Professor Libo Yan (PhD) has been the Head of the Center for Light and Environmentally-Friendly Structures ZELUBA^® at the Fraunhofer WKI. The expert for the research areas “Hybrid Material Systems” as well as “Organic Building Materials and Wood-Based Materials” replaces Institute Director Professor Dr.-Ing. Bohumil Kasal, who had taken over the department management on a provisional basis.

Around 50 guests celebrated the 75^th anniversary of the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI on the 30^th of June 2022 – with one year’s delay as a result of the pandemic. Dr. Sabine Johannsen, State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture, and Dr. Thorsten Kornblum, Lord Mayor of Braunschweig, emphasized in their congratulatory speeches the relevance of the Fraunhofer WKI for the Lower Saxony research landscape. In a video greeting, the President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Professor Dr.-Ing. habil. Reimund Neugebauer, praised the continuous and far-reaching contribution of the Fraunhofer WKI towards achieving a bio-based circular economy.

It is impossible to imagine current politics and the daily press without the topics “climate change” and “energy transition”. Topics that are virtually part of the Fraunhofer WKI's DNA. The institute has been researching resource- and climate-friendly materials for a future worth living in for 75 years. In the current episode of the Fraunhofer podcast series “Experience research – Listen to the future”, Professor Bohumil Kasal, Director of the Fraunhofer WKI, talks about the history, current projects and future challenges of the institute.

With the support of the Fraunhofer WKI, Beate Kapfenberger and Martha Starke from the design studio “morgen.” are infusing new life into the Fleete (canals) of Hamburg’s inner city. Once filled with boats, sailors and wares from all over the world, the waterways are now largely unused and devoid of vegetation. Together with researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI, the designers have developed floating islands which can carry plants and which are made from a lightweight material that consists entirely of renewable raw resources. Through this project, a new form of green space will be created in the city: valuable biotopes, recreational spaces and meeting places on the water. Interested parties can help to plant and launch the islands on 1^st June 2022 June 21, 2022.

On 10^th May 2022, representatives of research-funding foundations embraced the opportunity to experience live science at the Fraunhofer WKI in the new “Center for Light and Environmentally-Friendly Structures ZELUBA^®”. Addressing the topic of “Together achieving more: Research funding for sustainable development”, they participated in a discussion with researchers from the Fraunhofer WKI and with the Fraunhofer Future Foundation.