Arboform

Arboform (Latin arbor = " tree ") is an advanced biomaterial in 1998, which is mainly made of the wood components lignin and cellulose. The name " Arbo " is protected by law. The material is also known as " liquid wood " or in English " Liquid Wood ".

Development

Arboform was developed society for industrial use of renewable raw materials mbH in 1998 by Helmut Naegele and Jürgen Pfitzer within a partnership between the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ( ICT ) and its offshoot Tecnaro.

Production

Arboform based on lignin, one of the main components of wood, which is obtained as waste or by-product as in paper production. Lignin is composed of highly complex macromolecules (polymers ). The so-called " Kraft lignin " which is obtained in the sulfate process of the paper manufacture, first has to be expensively cleaned. The brown Ligninpulvern be blended natural fibers such as cellulose, flax or hemp and natural additives. The fiber mixture is compressed to about a pea-sized granules.

Properties

Arboform is between 110 ° and 170 ° C, at a pressure of 1000 bar, thermoplastic and then arbitrarily deformable. It is more resilient than wood. The mechanical properties are the type and amount of the reinforcing fibers used depends. The modulus of elasticity according to the manufacturer up to 7,000 MPa, the maximum tensile strength of about 40 MPa. The maximum impact strength is specified by the manufacturer with 95 kJ/m2.

Arboform has similar wood a brown color. It can be artificially colored, but can not be made ​​in white or transparent.

Processing and applications

The material can be processed using established polymer processing forms, especially by injection molding, extrusion, compression molding, thermoforming and blow molding.

It finds application in the manufacture of semi-finished products, plates and shaped parts. It is part of speakers, funeral urns, watch cases, toys, buttons, printed circuit boards and is partially used in the series production.

The starting material is used by the manufacturer for the production of a comparable wood-plastic composite composite material, and for a mixture with other shares of renewable resources.