Summary
- Profile Type
- Technology offer
- POD Reference
- TODE20240403007
- Term of Validity
- 3 April 2024 - 3 April 2025
- Company's Country
- Germany
- Type of partnership
- Investment agreementCommercial agreement with technical assistanceResearch and development cooperation agreement
- Targeted Countries
- All countries
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General information
- Short Summary
- A German university has developed a flexible, high-density fiberboard made from annually renewable raw materials that can be produced using existing manufacturing processes. The fiberboard consists of 80 to 90 % straw, a natural fiber and residual material that is available worldwide The University is looking for cooperation partners, licensee and/or investors to further develop the new technology to series maturity.
- Full Description
-
Fiberboards are widely used in the furniture industry and for internal house finishing. This new type of high-density fibreboard is equally suitable to produce free-form furniture and partitions as well as slip-resistant and shock-absorbent floor covering and underlayment respectively. No formaldehyde and isocyanate components are applied, making it the ideal solution for various indoor applications.
Scientists at a German university have developed a flexible, high-density fiberboard made from annually renewable raw materials that can be produced using existing manufacturing processes. The fiberboard consists of 80 to 90 % straw, a natural fiber and residual material that is available worldwide. The price of the raw material is therefore very low, and the production of fiberboard does not compete with food production. The fiberboards can be made from wheat, corn, rice, oat, barley, or rye straw. When using rice straw, the fiberboards have the additional advantage that they have a silicate content of up to 20 % of the dry weight of the fibers. As silicate is a natural flame retardant, the material classification "particularly flame retardant" according to the German standard DIN 4102-B1 can be fully met by the addition of minimal mineral flame-retardant additives.
An eco-friendly thermoplastic elastomer is used as a binder. The board can
therefore, be produced without formaldehyde and isocycanate contents, thus minimizing the health risks during the product's entire life cycle. At the end of its
service life, the fibreboard may be also recycled or composted. This indicates that waste is hereby prevented twice: once during the production by using agricultural by-products and the second time by composting the product at the
end of its life-cycle.
Another unique feature which sets the invention apart from conventional
fiberboards, is the board's high flexibility, which makes it the ideal solution for
designing free-form furniture and interior spaces. Based on proven production
methods, the boards are shaped as desired and then fixed by veneer-layers. Due
to the low raw material costs involved, this invention provides an attractive alternative for architectural free-form applications. - Advantages and Innovations
-
Advantages of the innovation are:
• Recyclable and compostable
• 80 - 90 % of the fibre is made of annually renewable raw materials which do not compete with food production
• No harmful additives
• Slip-resistant and shock-absorbent
• Free forms for interior design and furniture
• Inexpensive raw material (agricultural by-product)
• Manufacturing process based on proven methods used in the plastics processing industry - Stage of Development
- Available for demonstration
- Sustainable Development Goals
- Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and InfrastructureGoal 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal
Partner Sought
- Expected Role of a Partner
- For the market launch of this fiberboard, the university is looking for partners from industry, licensee and/or investors who can produce such a board. Companies with experience in the production of fiberboards or those that process natural materials and have the appropriate machinery are conceivable. Players who are familiar with the compounding of fiber and biopolymer and the subsequent extrusion of the boards would be ideal.
- Type and Size of Partner
- Big companySME 11-49SME 50 - 249SME <=10
- Type of partnership
- Investment agreementCommercial agreement with technical assistanceResearch and development cooperation agreement
Call details
- Coordinator required
-
Yes
Dissemination
- Technology keywords
- 02007002 - Building materials02007020 - Biobased materials06006001 - Biobased Materials06006004 - Biopolymers06006005 - Biobased high-performance materials
- Market keywords
- 07004005 - Furnishing and Furniture07004003 - Home furnishing and housewares08001023 - Other chemicals and materials (not elsewhere classified)
- Targeted countries
- All countries
