Biocomposites – Providing benefits to industry, consumers and environment

Preliminary programme

Wood-Plastic Composites

Anemon Strohmeyer, German Wood-Based Panel Industry (VHI) (DE): Overview of the German Wood-Plastic Composite Industry

Biocomposites in Automotive

Sophie de Rijk, Bcomp Ltd (CH): powerRibs in Automotive, the Benefits of Using Flax Grid Reinforcements in Automotive Large Series Interiors and Race Car Body Parts
Gurminder Minhas, Performance BioFilaments Inc. (CA): Automotive Biocomposites Based on Nano-Fibrillated Cellulose Technology
Heidi Peltola, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (FI): Light-Weight Solutions with Wood Based Biocomposites

Injection Moulding: Granulates and Applications

Dr. Hans Korte, Dr. Hans Korte Innovationsberatung Holz & Fasern (DE): X-Plorator - High Throughput Technology for Rapid Compound Development
Dr. Asta Partanen, nova-Institut (DE): Successful Biocomposites in Toys and Consumer Goods
Dr. Claudia Pretschuh, Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (AT): Regenerated Cellulose Fibres TENCEL® FCP as Filler in PP for Improved Foam Injection Moulding
Dr. Tanaka Tatsuya, Doshisha Unversity (JP): Study on Elucidation of Opening Fibre Bundle Mechanism in Manufacturing Process for LFT Granular

Biocomposites in 3D Printing

Nathalie Labonnote, SINTEF Building and Infrastructure (NO): Biocomposites for 3D Printing in ConstructionDr. Andreas Haider, Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (AT): Use of Biocomposites in 3D-Fused Layer Modelling

Structural Applications

Patrick Teuffel, Eindhoven University of Technology (NL): Structural Use of Hemp and Flax Fibres with Bio-based Resins - Bio-based Bridge - Possibilities for Design and Structural Use

Raw materials for Biocomposites – Wood and Natural Fibres and Polymers

Anne Le Duc, Fibres Recherche Développement (FRD) (FR): From Plant to Agromaterial: Innovative Axes to a Better Design of Bio-based Fibres Used in Thermoplastic Composites
Kirsi Immonen, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (FI): Biocomposites from Side Streams of Paper and Board Industry – Fibre Clay Composites
Richard Meisenheimer, Covestro Deutschland AG (DE): New Bio-based Polyisocyanate – Opens the Way to New Green Lightweight Applications
Oliver Mertens, University Hamburg Center of Wood Science and Technology (DE): In-Situ Refiner Compounding Approach for TMP-fibre Thermoplastic Composites
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörg Müssig, The Biological Materials Group, BIOMIMETICS, City University of Applied Sciences (DE): New NFC Product Development Starts with the Selection of an Appropriate Fibre
Dr. Arne Schirp, Fraunhofer-Institute for Wood Research (DE): Improvement of the Fire Retardancy of Wood-plastic Composites (WPC) by Wood Pre-treatment

As in previous years, one session will be dedicated to the Innovation Award “Biocomposite of the Year 2017”. It will be granted at the Biocomposites Conference Cologne to the young, innovative bio-based materials industry for finding suitable applications and markets for biocomposite products. The focus of the award is on new developments within these areas, which have been launched in 2017 or will be launched in 2018. Producers and inventors of innovative, new applications for WPC and NFC are invited to hand in their applications until end of August.

Jacek Leszczyński
Source: Nova-Institute