Totally renewable, environmentally enhanced products, lifecyclewide adapted to sustainability targets

Informations projet

TREEPLAST

N° de convention de subvention: BRST985475

Projet clôturé

Date de début 1 Avril 1999

Date de fin 31 Mars 2001

Financé au titre de

• Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Coût total Aucune donnée

Contribution de l’UE Aucune donnée

Coordonné par

KHZ Kunststoffenindustrie BV
Netherlands

Livrables

Totally renewable, environmentally enhanced products, lifecycle wide adapted to sustainability targets; TREEPLAST

The project was performed because of the rising demand for alternatives of plastic (packing) products and the availability of several natural materials. The RTD performers are active in the field of material development, product development/design as well as ecological design and renewable resources. The main targets of the Treeplast® project were: -To break the market for biodegradable products. -To be a serious alternative for wooden products. -To convert production wood waste into valuable raw material. Treeplast® as a first development of the partners is based on a wood/corn composite material named “Fasal®”, developed in Austria. Target was to develop this injection moulding material towards acceptable mechanical, processing and commercial performances. As a result this new material will be incorporated in the scope of designers and industrial product developers. Treeplast® material approach may act as an example for other (bio) materials in the field of bio (degradable) or renewable natural materials. Important angle is to adapt the right environmentally accepted materials to more durable mass-products. This is in contrast with the known application for biomaterials as perishable products. A product is more attractive than a material, although a new material may be helpful to introduce a product. Treeplast® is a mass-product with freedom of shape made of wood. The main task for the consortium was to find the right product-material combination (product development) within the boundaries of: -Technical material properties. -Production facilities of the SME’s. -Competitive (price) market of wood, plastic and biodegradable products. A Treeplast® product must be a good performing product, based on product quality, fit-for-purpose. The developed products in this project do as a first example for these criteria. Users of the developed handbook need to produce their own Treeplast® products for their own needs.