Thünen: Bio-based Resources and Materials

Institute of

HF Wood Research

Ongoing projects ∙ Bio-based Resources and Materials

Evaluation of the Charter for Wood 2.0

The Charter for Wood 2.0 aims to increase the contribution of sustainable forestry and wood use to climate change mitigation. It contributes to the implementation of the Federal Government’s Climate Action Plan 2050. Strengthening value creation in the forestry & wood cluster and conserving finite resources through sustainable and efficient wood use are further key objectives.

Influence of particle geometry on material properties and optimization of material consumption

The properties of particleboard are influenced to a large extent by the geometry of the chips. Targeted control of the board properties therefore requires precise knowledge of these relationships and their adaptability. The accurate and reliable measurement of chips has only recently become possible and will be further developed in this project with practical relevance.

Wood Fibers as peat substitutes

Reducing peat extraction contributes significantly to climate protection. Wood fiber materials can already be used to replace up to 30% of peat in planting substrates. However, several challenges must be overcome to achieve higher substitution rates. We are exploring approaches to increase the substitution rate and expand the raw material base for wood fiber production.

Lignin-carbonate as crosslinker for bio-based adhesives

Adhesives are of central importance for industrial product manufacturing. However, conventional adhesives are usually based on petrochemicals and are thus not sustainable. The Thünen-Institute of wood research is investigating novel alternative adhesives made from bio-based resources.

Putting more nature on paper

Plants protect themselves with various structures against moisture, predators and microorganisms. We are investigating how these structures can be produced on paper using biogenic precursor molecules and plasma polymerization.

Strategic Strengthening and Promotion of Forest and Wood Research in Germany (Cross-Sectional Project)

Forests provide economic, protective, and recreational functions. Extreme weather events and forest damage are showing the consequences of climate change. Interdisciplinary research and evidence-based decisions are essential for necessary adaptations.

Environmentally friendly production of reinforcing fibers for waste paper packaging papers

The decline in consumption and production of graphic papers has the consequence that the influx of high-quality fiber material into waste paper recycling declined. With a suitable process, high quality but low-cost primary fibers could be recovered for the reinforcement of waste paper.

Completed projects

Alternative, formaldehyd-free binders for wood based composite materials

In the production of wood-based composite materials formaldehyd containing binders are still state of the art. While formaldehyd emissions have been drastically reduced the search for low-priced formaldehyd-free binders is still ongoing.

Bio-based polymers and materials

During the development of a bio-based economy, the complete utilization of lignocellulosic components is of particular importance. Therefore, we develop and evaluate new bio-based polymers and materials, as well as composites.

Biorefinery 2021

Bioethanol plant based on lignocellulosic materials yield a lignin enriched residue, which can be used as potential source for aromatic platform chemicals. Fast pyolysis and corresponding analytical tools were investigated.

Fuels out of a hot bath

Testing of the CLC-process (catalytic liquid conversion) in a laboratory unit for the joint conversion of pyrolysis liquids and biomass into liquid hydrocarbons with high heating value.

Wood plastic composite interface characterization

This project initiates a new collaboration between SCION (New Zealand) and Thuenen-Institute. Both organisations aim at a deeper understanding of the interaction of wood and plastic in hybrid composite products.

Material and process development for the production of wood-biopolymer sandwich panels based on renewable resources

The demand for renewable raw materials in material and energetic uses is growing rapidly. By selectively reducing the density of the panel structure less material is necessary to achieve comparable properties.

Emission free Adhesives

Wood-based materials are predominantly produced with formaldehyde-based adhesives. This group of adhesives are potential hazardous to health due to the recent risk assessment of formaldehyde (class 1B, likely to be carcinogenic to humans). Therefore, formaldehyde-free binder alternatives are evaluated, developed and tested in our institute.

Development of a measuring system to determine particle dimensions

The geometry of wood particles has a significant influence on the properties ofparticleboard. However, this relationship has been difficult to use for process optimization so far. The expansion of process control to include particle thickness measurement opens up new possibilities for using wood and adhesives more efficiently and thus conserving resources.

Special editing office for Wooden building products in the Ecological building material information system WECOBIS in the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development

Special editing office for Wooden building products in the Ecological building material information system WECOBIS in the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development

Research and evaluation of raw materials and processes for pulp production

Different raw materials and processes for the production of chemical and mechanical pulps are being used to evaluate their suitability for specific applications. The focus is on processes with high resources- and energy-efficiency.

FTP Germany

Collection and adaptation of future-oriented research topics of the German Forestry/Wood-Chain, national harmonization und provision of such topics for builing reaserch strategies and programmes on national and European level, organisation of workshops and brokerage events

Interface characterisation

The proposed project will investigate how polyester plastic becomes bonded to wood veneer and particles within novel wood-plastic composite sandwich structures. Analysis will compare plastic-wood fibre interactions from molecular to micro-scale and relate these interfacial behaviours with composite performance and mechanical properties.

Lignocellulose Biorefinery Phase II

The planning and construction of a pilot plant for Organosolv pulping was supported. In addition extensive investigations for the material use of lignin were performed (lignin-phenol resins, polyurethans, aromatic platform chemicals.

Production of special pulps

The aim of the project, performed in cooperation with the company Josef Rettenmaier & Söhne, is the energy- and resource-efficient generation of specialty cellulose pulps from alternative, so far scarcely used raw material sources (wheat straw, Miscanthus Giganteus, beech residual forest wood) for high-quality applications.

IEA Bioenergy Task 34

IEA Bioenergy Task 34 (pyrolysis) consists of experts from 6 countries (USA, UK, DE, NL, FI, SE) aimed at facilitating commercialisation of biomass pyrolysis for production of fuels by contributing to the resolution of critical technical areas and disseminating relevant information particularly to industry and policy makers.

Initiation of European research- and innovation projects in the area of wood-based added-value networks

The use of renewable resources plays an important role under a climate protection perspective and thus the transition towards a bio-based economy in Germany and also Europe. The innovative, efficient and above all sustainable use of biomass is both for Germany as well as for the resource-rich areas of North, Central and Southeastern Europe of social, economic and ecological importance and considerable mutual interest.

Developing competences for the Peruvian Forestry and woodworking sector

A large part of Peru east of the Andes is tropical forest area which is partly over-utilised, partly has degraded soil after agricultural utilisation or is untouched or under-utilised. Despite enormous wood resources, Peru imports most of its timber demand. Export is focussed on high density parquet wood species. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and Thuenen Institute of Wood Research support the local institutions CITEmadera and CITEforestal in the formation of experts for the Peruvian forestry and woodworking sector.

Lightweight panels from particles with innovative geometry

Less and less wood is to be used for the production of particleboard. At the same time, however, the properties of the panels should not change. The use of innovative particle geometry seems to be the solution to overcoming this contradiction.

Reactive extrusion of lignin

The implementation of the EU Circular Economy Package and the European Plastics Strategy mean that more efforts are needed to prevent, reuse or recycle packaging waste. Lignin-based packaging and coating materials can be used as an alternative to common plastics. However, laboratory-proven methods must be further developed into application-suitable processes.

LIGNOHTL: Transportation fuels from woody residues

Lignin enriched residues from pulping industries and biorefineries are becoming more and more important. Their aromatic character make them ideally suited for use as fuels or platform chemicals. We try to convert lignins in a two-step process. We start with hydrothermal treatment of dissolved lignin from kraft pulping processes (black liquor). In a second hydrocracking step we want to make a product which is can be integrated in conventional fossil refienry streams.

More bioenergy from wood

The KBBE-Project TREEFORJOULES aims at finding new ways for wood production, optimized for the generation of highly efficient fuels. The Thünen Institute of Wood Research is involved in the characterization of the cell wall components and the estimation of bioenergy potential.

NRW Inno-Cluster Bioenergy

Ablative fast pyrolysis is a special process to generate bio-oils from biomasses. In contrast to petroleum, biomass derived pyrolysis oils cannot be distilled into fractions for example parafins. Therefore, we investigate the staged condensation of bio-oils to enrich basic chemical feedstocks.

Standardisation related to wood

For technological progress, standardised poducts and processes, and for cross boarder exchange of goods and services harmonized standards related to round and sawn timber are indispensible.

Utilization of natural fibers

This institute-internal project comprises numerous individual projects, in which different pulp and paper products are tested for different applications. It includes beating or conversion, for example for the production of microfibrils. An essential goal is to find new, high-valued applications.

Development of lignin-based polyurethanes for foams and adhesives.

Lignin, a by-product of pulp production, can be used to produce foams and versatile adhesives. We investigate how these materials can be produced in a sustainable way.

Material uses for lignocellulosic raw materials and residues

Sustainable and economically feasible utilisation of wood and its components are to be pointed out, developed and evaluated. In order to provide political decision makers with scientifically-based results knowledge at the interface between science and policy has to be consolidated and supplemented by our own research.

Development of a climate cell for nano-tomography measurements

The Thünen Institute of Wood Research and the Institute of Wood Sciences at the University of Hamburg are developing a climate cell for nano-tomography to better understand the behavior of biological samples in response to changes in humidity and temperature

Upgrading of pyrolysis oils

Globally, researchers are involved in finding optimal processes for the conversion of biomass into liquid fuels and platform chemicals. Pyrolysis liquids are an important intermediate product. However, they need upgrading to be used in the petroleum based infrastructure. Our project is aimed at investigating wether esterification and acetalization with subsequent hydrotreatment are viable routes.

From Molecules to Materials - Biobased Adhesives

Adhesives are essential to industrial production as a whole and are widely used in modern manufacturing applications. Usually adhesives are produced by fossil-based feedstocks. At the Thünen-Institute of Wood research we try to replace conventional products with bio-based resources.

Improving eucalypt and poplar wood properties for bioenergy

Plants can be genetically modified and may develop a differing phenotype. Such processes can also lead to changed tissue properties. Trees can be treated in the same way and the wood of those trees can be specifically modified. The "Tree for Joules" research project aims at a specific modification of poplar and eucalypt trees to optimize their suitability for energy purposes.

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