Reference projects

Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is widely used in furniture construction. It has a very homogeneous surface that can be coated particularly smoothly. Furthermore, it can be produced economically and sustainably from regionally available wood and recycled waste wood. As a result, it also plays a major role in the construction industry - for example as a substrate for floor coverings or wall panels. Through this research project, we are aiming to make MDF and similar fiberboards even more sustainable. In collaboration with industrial partners, we are developing a formaldehyde-free adhesive system with bio-based materials that are available on the market at low cost. The special highlight: The new adhesive system functions without conventional adhesives.

Furniture must fulfill diverse requirements. It should be affordable, stable, easy to move house with, aesthetically pleasing and, ideally, flexible in its design. As a result, it often consists of a number of components and materials. With sustainability in mind, the recyclability of furniture is increasingly becoming the focus of attention. The decisive factor here is that the utilized materials can be fully separated by type. In collaboration with the design company Studio Jonathan Radetz, we are developing a furniture system that is comprised of just two materials, each with excellent recyclability: tubular steel and natural-fiber textiles. Thanks to an innovative construction principle and ultra-modern weaving technology, these materials are being used to create furniture and design elements that can be easily dismantled, converted, transported, and recycled to a high standard. We are demonstrating the feasibility of this by means of seating elements for semi-public spaces.

How can particularly sustainable thermal insulation materials be produced for buildings? With fungi! In collaboration with the Braunschweig-based start-up “YcoLabs”, we are using the organic growth of fungal mycelium as a natural binder in order to process plant residues such as hemp hurds, wood shavings or elephant-grass fibers into insulation materials. One particular advantage: The insulation materials can be allowed to grow into virtually any shape and size. This makes them very versatile. In order to demonstrate the performance capabilities of the fungal insulation materials, we are producing prototypes for an application example and testing them in a real operational environment. In subsequent pilot projects with the construction industry, we aim to further develop the insulation materials into a variety of marketable products. In this way, we are providing a contribution towards an increase in the proportion of renewable raw materials in buildings and, consequently, towards achieving climate- and environmental-protection targets.

Heat, drought, storms, bark beetles: In the Harz National Park, climate change is leading to widespread forest damage. Reforestation will take decades. This has a significant impact on the timber and forestry industry, tourism and, consequently, the well-being of the regional population. In collaboration with research and regional partners, we are developing various scenarios for reforestation and are predicting their ecosystem services as well as their socio-economic effects above and beyond this. One approach involves replacing the dead spruce stands with more climate-resistant deciduous tree species. At the Fraunhofer WKI, we are investigating the achievable wood quality and yield as well as the suitability of the wood for the production of wood-based materials.

With this project, we would like to demonstrate how agroforestry systems with fast-growing poplars can enable sustainable agriculture whilst simultaneously strengthening the wood industry. In collaboration with research and practice partners, we are establishing model regions in Northern Germany and developing innovative value chains for poplar wood – in particular for material use. The focus of the Fraunhofer WKI thereby lies on the development of wood-based materials and hybrid material composites. Through the optimization of poplar cultivation, suitable wood qualities and assortments are to be achieved. In order to facilitate the entry of agricultural and wood-utilizing companies into the agroforestry value chains and to ensure the purchase of wood at stable conditions, cooperation models are being developed and networks established within the project.

Re-using wood several times: Good for the climate, technically possible and economically interesting. However, products made from waste wood are difficult to market. The problem is that potential buyers need to understand the benefits of waste-wood products and be able to trust that waste wood has indeed been utilized. For this reason, we are, in collaboration with the Thünen Institute, developing scientifically based recommendations for action with regard to quality assurance and end-user awareness - for example with the help of certificates and quality seals. As waste wood is almost exclusively utilized materially in particle-board production, we are focusing on this material and the products made therefrom, in particular furniture. The aim is to increase the market share of products based on waste wood and, consequently, to provide a contribution towards both the efficient use of raw materials and climate protection.

Every year, tons of waste wood accrue during the construction and demolition of buildings. A large proportion of this stems from structural timber components - for example roof trusses, ceiling beams or timber frameworks. At present, most of this high-quality waste wood is directly burned in order to generate energy. The aim of this joint project under the leadership of the Technische Universität Braunschweig is therefore to find a holistic, economical solution for the utilization of structural waste wood in the re-production of load-bearing timber-construction elements. At the Fraunhofer WKI, we are developing a portable analysis device for this purpose, which is intended to enable the minimally destructive in-situ examination of installed wood with regard to possible pollutant contamination - with a particular focus on wood preservatives. The project not only provides a contribution towards ensuring that more waste wood can be reused as a high-quality material in the future, but also supports the development of a sustainable, bio-based circular economy.

The wood constituent lignin accrues in large quantities as a by-product of pulp and paper production. In collaboration with industrial partners, we are developing a high-performance bio-foam from lignin. In order to demonstrate its market potential, the lignin foam is being processed into molded parts for the automotive industry within the scope of the project. These parts are to be utilized as the core in car bumpers. Petrochemical foam materials could also be replaced by climate-friendly lignin foams in numerous other applications - for example in packaging, insulation materials or as a core material in wind-turbine rotor blades.

Around 8 to 10 million metric tonnes of waste wood accrue in Germany every year. A good 80 percent of this is used directly for energy, i.e. incinerated. In order to make more efficient use of wood as a resource, it is necessary for significantly more waste wood to be materially re-used (material recycling). One obstacle is the fact that up to now, considerable effort has been required in order to determine possible contamination. A significant simplification is being developed within a project led by the University of Greifswald in collaboration with the Fraunhofer WKI and industrial companies: the optimization of “X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF)” for the sample type waste wood. The new analysis method should be quick and easy to use for all parties involved in the waste-wood value chain – for example recycling companies, wood-based material manufacturers and authorities.

There are already more than 30,000 wind turbines in Germany. By 2030, there could be more than twice as many. A wind turbine is usable for around 20 to 30 years and must then be disposed of. The tower made from steel and concrete is already very easy to recycle, but the rotor blades have not been up until now. They consist of complex multi-material composites – firmly bonded by thermoset resins. One promising approach: With the aid of detachable resin systems, rotor blades could be constructed in such a way that the materials can be separated by type at the end of the service life. In collaboration with research and industry partners, we are developing industrially feasible production, separation and processing procedures for this purpose. The focus of the Fraunhofer WKI lies in the processing and reutilization of recovered glass fibers and balsa-wood components. As a result, we are helping to ensure that a high-quality reutilization of 100 percent of the wind-turbine materials is possible at the end of their service life.

Particle boards are a sustainable and inexpensive construction material for houses and furniture. They can be produced from regionally available wood residues and recycled waste wood. Through this research project, particle boards will become even more sustainable. In collaboration with industrial partners, we are developing particle boards that are produced using a new kind of adhesive which should not contain any health-critical formaldehyde and which consists entirely of biogenic raw materials. Furthermore, we are conducting tests to determine whether the particle boards can be produced using alternative types of wood, which will be increasingly available in the future as a result of forest restructuring.

Heating systems must be insulated in accordance with the German law on building-energy efficiency. For system components such as pump groups, valves or fittings, prefabricated insulation boxes made from polymer foams are available. These can be easily installed and subsequently removed. However, as they are of normal or low flammability, they cannot be fitted everywhere. Insulation using non-combustible materials has been laborious up until now. In collaboration with industry partners, we are developing a practicable solution: insulation boxes made from non-combustible foam that can be overhauled and recycled. Heating systems in building areas with increased fire-protection requirements could, as a result, be installed, maintained and modified more quickly.

Protecting moorlands, avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions and, at the same time, extracting valuable raw materials for house construction and horticulture: That is the aim of this model and demonstration project, which is being implemented in two model regions in the districts of Emsland and Cuxhaven by a total of 13 partners from research and industry. The task of the Fraunhofer WKI is to thereby develop, manufacture and test construction products on the basis of cattails in close collaboration with the Fraunhofer IBP.

Organic sheets made from fiber-reinforced plastic can be formed using processes similar to those applied in steel- or aluminum-sheet processing. Until now, primarily glass fibers – as well as carbon or aramid fibers and petrochemical plastics – have been utilized for production. In collaboration with the Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites (IfBB) at Hannover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, we are developing a sustainable and competitive alternative: bio organic sheets made from natural fibers and bioplastics with improved material properties and a high level of recyclability. Diverse products could thereby become more sustainable - including vehicles, housings, cladding and sports equipment. Thanks to the good availability of inexpensive raw materials, bio organic sheets also have strong market potential.

In the manufacture of precast concrete components, formwork items made from wood and polystyrene are utilized. After being used several times, they are disposed of, which incurs costs. As a result of coatings and concrete residues, the formwork boards can currently only be thermally recycled (incineration). In collaboration with industrial partners, we are developing a solution for the material recycling: We would like to produce wood foam from the formwork boards which, in turn, can be used for the concrete formwork - as a replacement for recess formers made from polystyrene. This would allow precast concrete components to be produced more efficiently and large amounts of fossil raw materials to be conserved. Furthermore, other sustainable products could be manufactured with the wood foam, including insulation materials, packaging, wind-turbine rotor blades, and sandwich elements for buildings, vehicles, furniture or sports equipment.

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.

After 20 to 30 years, wind turbines have reached the end of their service life and need to be dismantled. In future, up to 75,000 tons of waste from rotor blades will be produced every year, including large quantities of fibre-reinforced plastics. Up to now, they have been used to generate energy (incinerated) or shredded and recycled as cement aggregate. Together with research and industry partners, we are developing a resource-efficient solution: using pyrolysis, the fiber composite plastic from the rotor blades is broken down into its components to recover the fibers used. Both these »recyclate fibers« and the pyrolysis oils and pyrolysis gases produced at the same time can be used industrially. The focus of the Fraunhofer WKI is on the wet-chemical processing of the recyclate fibers for the renewed production of materials. In this way, we are helping to reduce the raw material requirements of the wind industry.

Building with timber provides an important contribution towards climate protection. When combined with concrete, the range of applications for wooden structures can be extended. A bonding technology co-developed by the Fraunhofer WKI enables the accelerated production of timber-concrete composite elements (TCC elements). In the current “SafeTeCC” research project, we are optimizing and standardizing the manufacturing process in order to make it suitable for use on construction sites and to ensure process reliability. Simultaneously, the component properties are to be optimized. The aim is to establish the utilization of TCC elements in multi-story building construction - as a competitive alternative to precast steel-reinforced concrete elements. In this way, we are helping to increase the proportion of renewable raw materials in the construction sector and, consequently, to achieve climate and sustainability goals.

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