|
|
More news |
| New wood polymer for plant and gardening products | |
| A new wood polymer called Arboform allows figurines and other products to be manufactured cheaply by injection molding using a natural wood product, developed by TECNARO, a spin-off Company of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT, Germany. Lignin is the most commonly occurring natural polymer after cellulose. In wood it holds the plant fibers together, forming a rigid but elastic composite material. In the paper industry, the two substances are separated using a chemical process. Engineers at TECNARO, extract the lignin and mix it with natural fibers from plants such as sisal, hemp or linen, along with certain additives and dyes, according to the customer’s requirements. The mixture is extruded by the processing plant as a granulate with a monthly output capacity of 5-10 metric tons. Arboform can be processed in an injection-molding machine or ‘extruder’ like any normal thermoplastic. These ‘natural’ products will be biodegradable and in the case of very small products, they can be composted together with lawn clippings. For further information: “AlphaGalileo”, Research News 12-2005 of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Jürgen Pfitzer, Fax: 0049 3691/621-3 29, E-mail: info@tecnaro.de, www.tecnaro.de It would appear that Arboform is highly suitable for the manufacture of a completely new range of ‘wood products’ including pots and containers for plants and a range of garden and gardening items from sculptures to fixtures and fittings. |
|