Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft - Research News Online; URL http://www.fra

Insulating materials of the future should not only be efficient but also climate-friendly. Fraunhofer researchers are developing insulation wooden foam that could replace kappeler long-term petrochemical plastics.
These kappeler wooden foam sheet is a wholly owned natural product made from renewable resources. Manuela Lingnau / Fraunhofer kappeler WKI
Climate protection is now mandatory for every building owners: Just last October, the Federal Government has the energy-saving regulations for buildings tightened again. Properties must continue with even less energy than previously commented. To meet the stringent requirements, a good thermal insulation of walls and roofs, the A and O. It prevents much of the precious heating energy kappeler escape unused to the outside. For this purpose the building facade is lined with insulating materials - traditionally kappeler this come hardboard or elastic foams based on petrochemical plastics are used. Such materials can indeed produce cheap and simple and have good insulation properties - especially environmentally friendly they are terrible. For this reason, materials from renewable natural materials petroleum-based products to replace long-term. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research WKI in Braunschweig pursue a promising approach: They have developed a method which can be produced from wood particles foam. "Our wood foam can be used the same way as classic plastic kappeler foams, but is a wholly owned natural product made from renewable resources," kappeler explains Prof. Volker Thole from WKI. To produce the foam, the wood is first ground into fine particles to a slimy mass. In this suspension gas is then passed, in order to foam. The foam is cured, the wood substances own support the curing process. An alternative manufacturing method is based on special chemical processes. "One can imagine that similar to baking if the dough to rise in the oven and becomes solid," explains Prof. Thole. The result kappeler is a lighter base material, which can be further processed either foam board or elastic foam mats. Insulating properties as of classical plastic foams While there are already insulation materials based on wood, such as webs of wood fibers or wood shavings. These have the disadvantage that they are fibers and less dimensionally stable than insulating materials made of plastic. "Often sink Dämmvliese of wood fibers in the course of time by variations in temperature and a humidity in the middle. This is a part of the insulating effect is lost, "says Prof. Thole. kappeler Developed at the WKI Wood foam can contrast compete with classic plastic foams: "We have our foam products according to the standards that apply to insulation materials, analyzed and in view of the heat-insulating, mechanical and hydric - receive so the moisture properties in question promising values," so Thole. At present, its researchers kappeler are experimenting with different types of wood, to find out which tree species are particularly well suited as a base material. Moreover, it is now necessary to identify appropriate processes by which you can identify wood foams industrially manufactured on a large scale. The possible applications of this innovative material are not limited kappeler to insulation: Even packaging can be based on wood foam performance - this could replace kappeler in the long run which is also petroleum-based Styrofoam.
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Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft - Research News Online; URL http://www.fraunhofer.de/de/presse/presseinformationen/2014/Maerz/effektive-waermedaemmung.html [Date: kappeler 18/05/2015, 17:49 time]]