The world is changing in many regards. One is the demand of sustainable, biobased materials and products. This includes besides others the use of sustainable raw materials, production with efficient use of resources (material, energy, so) as well as end of life scenarios. This all means generally circular economy with subtopics like re-use, upcycling/downcycling, LCA (life cycle assessment), resource efficiency during the use phase (e.g. lightweight materials) etc.
This is the focus of our R&D activities in the field of wood and wood related materials as well as their processing. Here we will show these materials and processing by 3D FLM printing. One can touch, smell and see various materials and printed samples. Also discussing the topic regarding advantages as well as constraints of the biobased materials and bioeconomy topics.
Mr. Andreas Haider studied “Industrial Engineer – Technical Chemistry” at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz (JKU). After working as an assistant for Management Consultant for integrated management systems (EMAS, ISO 14000, ISO 9000, so), he joined 2001 the Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH (short: Wood K plus) as a PhD student. In 2005 his doctoral thesis via the University of Graz together with Borealis Agrolinz Melamine GmbH (former Agrolinz Melamine International GmbH / AMI) was finished. Since 2014 he is area manager of the area “Biobased Composites & Processes”.
His main R&D topics cover the development and processing of biocomposites (extrusion, injection molding, 3D-FLM printing, foaming, so), the development of biobased carbon fibers, porous carbon materials as well as biobased SiC ceramics.