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Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing bio-based adhesives on the basis of renewable raw materials and biogenic residues. Adhesives, with their versatile range of application possibilities, are a key technology in the joining of materials and, consequently, the conservation of finite resources. As a result of their broad spectrum of applications, adhesives are a growth market. The substitution of conventional adhesives with bio-based adhesives provides an important contribution towards the realization of a bio-based circular economy.

In collaboration with industrial partners, scientists at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed concepts for the material utilization of humins. Humins are dark, highly viscous compounds. They accrue as a by-product during the production of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), a new bio-based substitute for the bulk plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET). As a result of their complex chemical structure, humins are suitable for a wide range of applications, for example as binders. According to calculations, tens of thousands of tons of humins will accrue every year in the medium to long term, for which no applications currently exist.

The corona pandemic has shown just how important it is to protect people in indoor areas against infection through airborne pathogens. Mobile air purifiers can, in principle, contribute to this. Until now, there has been no uniform method for testing their effectiveness. Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have therefore developed a standardised testing method to close this gap.

Change in leadership of the Fraunhofer WKI: On the 1st of October 2024, Prof. Dr. Raoul Klingner assumed the acting director position of the institute. He holds a degree in Wood Science and Technology and an honorary professorship at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technische Universität Braunschweig. He will complement the successful institute with his expertise and experience in strategic research management.

On 9^th October 2024, the European Wood-based Panel Symposium in Hamburg began with an evening event. The Fraunhofer WKI and the European Panel Federation (EPF) are organizing the networking event for the 13^th time in cooperation with the International Association for Technical Issues Related to Wood (iVTH). The worldwide largest event of this kind offers the around 370 participants from Germany and abroad the possibility, from 9^th to 11^th October 2024, to exchange ideas regarding the most important trends and challenges in the wood-based materials industry.

Autumn is here and with the strengthening winds, the yields generated by wind energy are also increasing. This environmentally-friendly and renewable form of energy generation creates jobs in Germany and promotes technological innovation. Wind energy reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and global supply chains. Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI are developing solutions that facilitate the inspection of rotor blades. Completely new recycling processes – which are being developed at the Fraunhofer WKI – pursue the goal of achieving the best-possible material recycling. The work of the scientists contributes towards ensuring that, from the outset, wind turbines can be designed to be easier to recycle and can be manufactured from renewable raw materials. As a result, the key technology of the energy transition is becoming both more recyclable and more resource-efficient.

The architecture and chemistry of the bark of the Canary pine effectively protect the trees from forest fires. Taking nature as a model, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, in collaboration with partners, have developed bio-based coatings for wooden components for interior and exterior use. The fire-retardant coatings utilizing functionalized microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) are weather-resistant and expand the application possibilities for wood in building construction. The researchers have succeeded in developing a new approach in the production of durable, flame-retardant construction products based on renewable raw materials.

Prof. Lidia Morawska from the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Prof. Yuguo Li from the University of Hong Kong and Prof. Tunga Salthammer from the Fraunhofer WKI in Braunschweig address this question in the journal SCIENCE.

Within the framework of his summer tour, Lower Saxony’s Minister for Science and Culture, Falko Mohrs, visited the Fraunhofer institutes for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut WKI and for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST in Braunschweig on the 8^th of July 2024.

The Society of Wood Science and Technology (SWST) is committed to the future of wood research by, among other things, honouring the "Women Ambassadors Creating the Future of Wood Science". For 2024, Dr Juan Li, research associate at the Fraunhofer WKI, was accepted as one of the women in the "Women Ambassadors Creating the Future of Wood Science". The new ambassadors will be presented at the annual SWST International Convention in Portoroz, Slovenia, from 30 June to 5 July 2024. Dr Juan Li will be included in the travelling exhibition sponsored by SWST, which will pay tribute to the ambassadors over time.