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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The primary objective of the EU project RECREATE is the development of innovative technologies for promoting the profitable re-utilization of end-of-life composite components for industrial applications. The project is divided into different technological use cases and addresses a multitude of different target sectors such as wind energy or the automotive industry. The Fraunhofer institutes IWU and WKI are working in collaboration with further partners on the design and manufacture of reusable fiber-composite structures for a wind-power rotor blade.

Resource conservation and energy efficiency determine the future of construction. Wood is an environmentally friendly and versatile building material. In addition to its ecological assessment, it also offers some technical advantages. Innovative timber-hybrid systems have even better mechanical properties, higher durability and allow for slender structures. Therefore, they are not only more resource efficient but also expand the architectural scope. In this project, we investigate and optimize the long-term behavior of wood hybrid systems, thereby laying the foundation for their use in the construction industry. Our main goal is to significantly increase the use of wood in building construction.