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.

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.

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.

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.

The Corona pandemic has demonstrated the importance of protecting people against infection through airborne pathogens in indoor environments. Air-purification systems can significantly contribute towards this. Currently, however, there is no uniform procedure for testing their effectiveness. We are developing a possible test standard in order to close this gap. In the future, this should facilitate the health evaluation of workplaces with regard to viruses and other airborne pathogens.

In modern industrial societies, people spend the majority of the day inside buildings. The air quality in indoor spaces is therefore a decisive factor for health and well-being. Foreign substances and odors can have a negative influence on the air quality. One ever-present potential source is construction products. Despite the existence of testing and evaluation schemes for construction-product emissions, unpleasant odors can still be generated in real indoor environments, or guideline values can be exceeded. In this project, we are investigating the relationship between construction-product emissions and the air quality in realistic model rooms and are developing simulation models. The results of the project will be incorporated into a practical guide. This should provide planning and architectural offices with recommendations regarding the selection and utilization of building materials.

Furniture and construction elements made from wood and wood-based materials are environmentally friendly and extremely popular. Until now, however, there have been no sustainable flame-retardant solutions for wooden surfaces in indoor areas. In collaboration with our project partners, we are developing transparent and colored flame-retardant coatings with a durable fire-protection effect on the basis of renewable raw materials. In doing so, we are expanding the possibilities for interior construction with wood whilst complying with stricter environmental and fire-protection regulations - for example in schools, theaters and airports or in trade-fair construction.

Wood-based materials such as particle board, OSB, plywood or fiber materials (MDF, HDF) are utilized in large quantities as sustainable building materials in the construction industry and in furniture manufacture. They are also used in vehicle construction and could play a much more significant role in the future. In their production, phenol-formaldehyde resins, amongst other substances, are added as binders (adhesives). These resins are harmful to health and are based on fossil raw materials. In collaboration with a research partner from Argentina, we are developing a bio adhesive that is not hazardous to health. For the production, regionally available production residues can be utilized. As a result, we are creating a sustainable and economically attractive solution for the production of wood-based materials.

Products in electrical engineering, electronics and logistics must fulfil high flame-retardancy requirements. Furthermore, they must be heat resistant and impact resistant. The biomaterials currently available on the market do not satisfy these requirements. In this project, we are developing bioplastics and biocomposites which have the necessary properties and which can be processed by means of injection molding and 3D printing. Products such as light switches, sockets, motion detectors, cable ducts or charging stations for electric vehicles could soon be produced from biomaterials.

The building industry is key to Germany’s economy. Anorganically bound wood-based materials are used for a variety of applications such as dry-walling and timber frame construction, as components for shell constructions and for façade cladding. They can also be found in ceilings, floors, walls, cladding for walls in damp rooms and in constructions intended to protect against fire or noise. Due to Europe’s re-classification of formaldehyde as a class 1B carcinogen (substance is probably carcinogenic to humans), the industry will soon require formaldehyde-free binding agents and additives. In this project, we are currently developing binding agents which use formaldehyde-free resins based on melamine and naphthalene with improved characteristics for construction applications.