Environmentally friendly foam material made from wood awarded
Fraunhofer Institute for wood research receives GreenTec Award
Solemn award ceremony at Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin
Foam is a useful material for house insulation and packaging, and serves as lightweight material. However, most of the foam material is made from fossil oil and natural gas and hence not environmentally friendly. Braunschweig-based scientists from Fraunhofer Institute for wood research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institute, WKI, have developed foam made from wood. This foam can be used in the same way as conventional foam material, while being 100 percent natural, made from renewable resources, and easy to recycle. This innovation by Fraunhofer Institute for wood research received the desired GreenTec Award in the category Construction & Living. The Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies (GdW), guardian of the category, and the state secretary Gunther Adler jointly presented the GreenTec Award on April, 27 in the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety
Berlin, April 29, 2015 – Conventional foam material made from petrochemical plastics is not very environmentally friendly. Scientists from Fraunhofer Institute for wood research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institute, WKI, based in Braun-schweig, offer a resource saving alternative. They have invented a process to make foam out of wood particles. This environmentally friendly wood foam is especially useful for insulating buildings and can easily match up to the quality of conventional foam material
The manufacturing process involves the intense crushing and grinding of wood into fine particles until a thick mass emerges. This suspension is expanded with gas. Once dried, the cellulose creates a stability-forming framework; the exposed substances enforce the binding. This new manufacturing process is based on a special chemical treatment. The result is a lightweight basis material – 100 percent natural. It can be further processed either as rigid foam board or in the form of elastic foam material. Equally to the conventional foam material, the wood foam can easily be sawn or shaped.
Scientists from Braunschweig are currently busy searching the most suitable type of tree. Moreover, they are identifying appropriate methods how to produce the wood foam industrially. The product is targeted to enter the market in the upcoming few years. Being honored with a GreenTec Award further illustrates the project’s potential
The Federal Ministry for the Environment in Berlin hosted the ceremony. State secretary Gunther Adler held the welcoming speech and warmly welcomed the guests. Amongst others, attendants included Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bohumil Kasal (WKI), Prof. Volker Thole (WKI), Axel Gedaschko (GdW), Dr. Christian Lieberknecht (GdW), and Marco Voigt (GreenTec Awards)
Prof. Volker Thole from WKI states, “Our research on sustainable material for resource saving applications is very intense. We are happy about the recognition of our idea from tree to foam!”
As guardian of the category Construction & Living the Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies (GdW) supports the selection process of the GreenTec Awards. GdW’s president and GreenTec Award jury member Axel Gedaschko says, “The GreenTec Awards are honoring innovative, ecological and resource saving projects. Not only in the industrial sector, but in the private sector too. Starting from innovative material and construction methods, architectural concepts, concrete drafts, housing technology and interior decoration to sanitation or an ecological demolishing. New sustainable as well as affordable building materials are more important than ever. This is why I was very happy to become guardian of the category Construction & Living. Further, I would like to congratulate the award winners most warmly on their achievement”
About GdW – Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies
The Federal Association of German Housing and Real Estate Companies represents around 3,000 local, corporate, clerical, commercial, federal state-owned, and state-owned apartment corporations. It forms the largest holding organization of the industry in Germany and Europe. The organization manages about 6 million flats, inhabited by more than 13 million people. The GdW therefore represents apartment corporations that manage almost 30 percent of all rental apartments in Germany
About the GreenTec Awards
Europe’s largest environmental and business prize will be awarded for the eighth time on May 29, 2015. This year yet again the traditional Green Carpet will be rolled out for 1,000 invited guests at Tempodrom in Berlin. The welcoming speech will be held once again by Peter Altmaier, Head of the Federal Chancellery and Federal Minister for Special Tasks. Guests on stage will include Aiman Abdallah (presenter, ProSieben), The BossHoss (Musicians),Nazan Eckes (presenter), Wladimir Klitschko (world heavyweight champion and entrepreneur), Franziska Knuppe(model), Nena (singer), Christine Neubauer (actress) and Désirée Nosbusch (actress, presenter). Annemarie Carpendale and Matthias Killing are going to present the gala on stage. The GreenTec Awards are organized to support environmental and economic involvement as well as fascination for technologies. The initiators and organizers Marco Voigt and Sven Krüger enthusiastically support this cause. More than 100 partners, over 60 ambassadors, and 30 exhibitors support this extraordinary event
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