issue 02/2021

More bio in surfing
Researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI, Braunschweig, Germany, are developing the stand-up paddleboard ecoSUP with a
lightweight sandwich element made from renewable raw materials. Lightweight construction materials are environmentally
friendly, as less energy and fewer resources are required for transport and production. Conventional lightweight-construction
materials are based on fossil and other finite resources such as metals and minerals. “We selected a stand-up paddleboard
as the demonstration object for our lightweight-construction material, as it has to meet high requirements with regard to
mechanical strength in combination with resistance to moisture, saltwater, and UV radiation. In the future, our new biocomposite
material could be utilized not only in other watersports equipment but also in the construction of buildings, cars,
ships, and trains,” explained Christoph Pöhler, Project Manager at the Fraunhofer WKI.
Currently, watersports equipment, such as surfboards, is produced using petroleum-based materials such as
epoxy resin, polyester resin, polyurethane, and expanded or extruded polystyrene in combination with
glass and carbon-fibre fabrics. The market for glass- and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics is
also growing continuously in other economic sectors. This offers a high savings potential
for finite resources.
Application News
“For the core of the new bio lightweight-construction material, we use recycled
balsa wood and modify it accordingly. Balsa wood is used in large quantities
in the rotor blades of wind turbines. At the end of the life cycle of the rotor
blades, it accumulates as waste and is then burnt. We now want to give this
balsa wood a longer useful life,” Pöhler explained.
The researchers are also developing an outer shell made from natural-fibrereinforced
bioplastics on the basis of itaconic acid. They are hereby concentrating on the
application of flax fibres, as these have advantageous mechanical properties and are cultivated in
Europe. AT
www.wki.fraunhofer.de/en
The cross-section of the paddleboard shows the sandwich
construction: core made from recycled balsa wood with an outer
shell of natural-fibre-reinforced bioplastics (© Fraunhofer WKI I
Christoph Pöhler)
Biobased design cups
Cormaf (Lainate, Italy), an aesthetics-driven packaging company, has chosen Arctic Biomaterials (Tampere, Finland) as the
material supplier for their BicéBio design cups and shot glasses. The reusable cups are manufactured from biobased (up to
75 %), heat tolerant (with temperature resistance 83–96 °C, HDT b), and compostable (EN-13432/Industrial compost) ArcBiox TM
MFA-series containing inorganic mineral fillers.
The injection moulded design items are part of Cormaf’s From Nature to Nature
series, which is readily available for consumers at amazon.it or by contacting
Cormaf sales directly. The cups are light to carry and designed for informal
occasions such as outdoor picnics.
Riccardo Chiaveri, the owner of Cormaf explains: “The main driver for Cormaf is to
combine sustainability and aesthetics. The high-performance ArcBiox materials met
our needs in terms of sustainability and usability of our products. For example, high
heat-resistance is needed to allow hot beverages and dishwasher durability.”
Ari Rosling, the R&D director at Arctic Biomaterials adds: “The cosmetics and food
sectors are definitely one target market for our recently launched MFA-series. It was
delightful to see what glamorous items Cormaf was able to design and produce using
it. And I have heard they are delivering other innovative ideas in the near future as well.”
According to Arctic biomaterials the ArcBiox MFA-series can compete with many oilbased
plastics, such as PE, PP, PS, and glass-reinforced PA, PP, PC, and PBT, and offers a
viable alternative to ABS, PP, and PS. AT
https://www.cormaf.net | https://abmcomposite.com/technical
bioplastics MAGAZINE [02/21] Vol. 16 35