Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BreadCell (Upgrading of cellulose fibers into porous materials)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-04-01 do 2023-09-30
The major challenge to reduce consequences of climate change, microplastic pollution and raw material shortages is to convert our economic system. We need to replace fossil-based resources by renewable ones, replace persistent materials by biodegradables while developing and employing environmentally friendly processing technologies to create safe products with minimum impact on the environment. A real impact on economy, society and ecology is only generated if the materials, processes and products to be replaced are in large scale. In BreadCell, we develop a radically new technology to produce porous lightweight low-density materials which are currently used in large scale industries and mainly consist of synthetic non-degradable polymers. BreadCell technology comprises a foaming process to create products relying on existing and new raw materials from pulping (cellulose, xylan), and to convert them to high value, lightweight, energy-absorbing and load-transferring composites such as in sports and safety components of cars. The whole process chain will be guided by safe-by-design principles to ensure the production of sustainable and inherently safe products.
In BreadCell we are interested in foaming of wood fiber suspensions and the structure of the porous network that wood pulp fibers form in the BreadCell foams. The foam structure is decisive for foam properties, and hence we are analysing foam structure using advanced imaging tools such as MicroCT and dynamic mechanical testing. The foam structure is a fibrillar network. Within this network, we can introduce larger pores by a choice of a foaming method. We have assembled
We have tested the foams for their dynamic properties and we continuously evaluate the performance of the foams targeting sports and mobility. We have demonstrated use of the foams in a penny skateboard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhpgKUu-pWI). We also consider construction materials as an application area. We have furthermore assembled the simple foam cores into sandwich structures in order to improve and diversify the mechanical performance (see a video about the sandwich structures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9uE5tfNhE8&t=18s)
The BreadCell process and foam design is guided by safety and sustainability-by-design (SSbD) principles to ensure the production of sustainable and intrinsically safe products. All foam components have been identified non-toxic and hence the technology has not alerted health and safety hazards.
We have tested the foams for their dynamic properties and we continuously evaluate the performance of the foams targeting sports and mobility. We have demonstrated use of the foams in a penny skateboard (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhpgKUu-pWI). We also consider construction materials as an application area. We have furthermore assembled the simple foam cores into sandwich structures in order to improve and diversify the mechanical performance (see a video about the sandwich structures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9uE5tfNhE8&t=18s)
The BreadCell process and foam design is guided by safety and sustainability-by-design (SSbD) principles to ensure the production of sustainable and intrinsically safe products. All foam components have been identified non-toxic and hence the technology has not alerted health and safety hazards.
Climate change, microplastic pollution and raw material shortages require fundamental changes to the existing economic system. The replacement of fossil fuel resources and persistent materials with renewable energy and biodegradables, respectively, and the development of environmentally friendly technologies emerge as the most viable alternative. The EU-funded BreadCell project develops a pioneering technology to produce porous lightweight low-density materials that are massively used in industries and mainly consist of non-degradable polymers. The technology includes a foaming process that creates products from new and existing raw materials from pulping and converts them into high-value, energy-absorbing and lightweight composites. The production of sustainable and safe products will be guaranteed by safe-by-design principles guiding the entire process chain.
Today, the innovation capacity of European scientists and industry in the area of renewable materials makes them already the leading global players in the field. We will provide a scalable technology that will further support the European technological leadership in the area by cross-fertilization of different fields (pulp and paper, biotechnology, polymer technology, toxicity) while addressing needs of future materials.
Today, the innovation capacity of European scientists and industry in the area of renewable materials makes them already the leading global players in the field. We will provide a scalable technology that will further support the European technological leadership in the area by cross-fertilization of different fields (pulp and paper, biotechnology, polymer technology, toxicity) while addressing needs of future materials.