Cutting Edge Tech for Cutting-Edge Materials
We have put a Stepcraft M.1000 CNC milling machine into operation in order to produce test specimens and samples from our bio-based materials in a reproducible and high-quality manner. With a generous working area of 679 × 1044 mm², it enables the precise machining of a wide range of materials and opens up new possibilities for our research projects.
Thanks to the CNC milling machine, we can precisely realise complex geometries and individual designs – an important step towards comprehensively testing the performance and applicability of our bio-based materials.
New project:Recycled foams
A project for the development of mechanically stable foams was approved retroactively to 1 November. The project builds on the materials described in Appl. Sci. 2020 described materials. In addition, the effect of fillers made from recycled materials will be tested. The project is supervised by Fabian Weitenhagen.
(Deutsch) Neue Veröffentlichung:
Federn als Bindemittel und Flammschutz
The increasing demand for sustainable building materials requires alternative flame retardants that are more sustainable than those used to date. In this context, we present our first results with recycled poultry feather waste for the production of flame-retardant fibreboards. Impregnated wood fibres show a significantly reduced decomposition rate and decomposition temperatures that are approx. 50 °C higher. In addition, decomposition takes place gradually and not immediately as with untreated wood. With a total protein content of approx. 10 % by weight, the boards produced using the wet process are self-extinguishing and do not smoulder. In the three-point bending test, these fibreboards failed at 15 N/mm2, the limit value required by DIN EN 622 for commercially available, formaldehyde-bonded MBH fibreboards. This shows that the recycled feather residues not only have an impressive flame-retardant effect, but can also be used as a fully-fledged binder for a new generation of ecological fibreboards. As these boards are based exclusively on natural materials, they can be shredded and composted at the end of their life cycle.
The article was selected by the Journal for the cover of issue 5(50).
M. Brenner, O. Weichold
Protein Hydrolysates from Biogenic Waste as an Ecological Flame Retarder and Binder for Fiberboards
ACS Omega 2020, 5, 32227−32233. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.0c03819
Spray and Yay!
The Büchi S-290 mini spray dryer can be used to produce powders with a defined particle size from aqueous or organic solutions and dispersions. The efficiency and reproducibility of the S-290 offer the working group the opportunity to advance basic research and application-orientated projects in equal measure.
New PhD Student
Fabian Weitenhagen joined our team in the field of bio-based building materials in December. He is continuing his research into bio-based polycondensation resins and is building on the results of previous work. He is also developing innovative bio-based composites to promote sustainable solutions for the construction industry.
New PhD Student
In April, we welcomed Tim Mrohs to the gels department. As part of his dissertation, he is researching hydrogels based on highly alkaline diallyldimethylammonium hydroxide (DADMAOH) for use in building preservation. He is focussing in particular on the development of alkali-stable crosslinkers and the formulation and investigation of molecular gel network structures. We wish him every success in his research and welcome him to the working group.
New publication:
Duroplasts with a difference
Nature avoids highly reactive functional groups, such as isocyanate and epoxy, by using highly specialised enzymes as catalysts in condensation reactions. Consequently, bio-based raw materials require in vitro reaction conditions that are often difficult to reconcile with the requirements for thermoset resins. In addition, condensation reactions release small molecules (often water), which leads to the formation of foams under standard reaction conditions. It would therefore appear that natural building blocks would not be suitable for the production of thermosetting resins.
We show here that the addition of chopped feathers prevents the previously reported foaming of highly cross-linked combinations such as citric acid/glycerol, increases conversion and improves flame retardant properties.
M. Brenner, C. Popescu, O. Weichold
Anti-Frothing E ffect of Poultry Feathers in Bio-Based, Polycondensation-Type Thermoset Composites
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10, 2150; https://doi:10.3390/app10062150
Completed Master Thesis
Congratulations to Tim Mrohs on successfully completing his master’s thesis in the field of alkaline hydrogels entitled ‘Synthesis of cross-linked copolymer electrolyte gels based on diallyldimethylammonium chloride and hydroxide’.
Hot Affair
The physical and chemical properties of materials can be modified in a targeted manner through the simultaneous application of temperature and pressure. Our Collin type 300 P heating press, which operates at temperatures of up to 300 °C and pressures of up to 300 kN, is particularly suitable for the precise processing and compression of materials such as thermoplastics, bonding or for the production of composite materials. A variety of three-dimensional target geometries are possible.
Getting in the Flow
To characterise and optimise the rheological properties of our materials, we have put the state-of-the-art MCR 102 rheometer from Anton Paar into operation. This precision instrument makes it possible to analyse the flow and deformation behaviour of a wide range of materials with the utmost accuracy.
Thanks to its outstanding measuring precision and versatile configuration options, the rheometer forms an ideal basis for the further development of our innovative material solutions. It helps us to precisely determine viscosity, yield points and elastic properties – essential for the development and processing of modern, sustainable materials.
