IHK Dresden: Workshop discussion

In collaboration with Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and the Dresden Chamber of Crafts, we at the Zittau Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) have been offering the “Workshop Talks” event series on the Zittau campus since 2014. In this latest “Workshop Talks” session, we will explore the potential use of natural fibers as a substitute for plastics in technical components and materials.

The Fraunhofer Plastics Center Upper Lusatia and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences are working with 25 industry partners to partially replace plastics with straw, chaff, or sawdust, thereby significantly improving the environmental footprint of technical plastic parts.

Durable products such as side panels for car doors or ventilation ducts no longer need to be made entirely of plastic. Depending on their intended use, up to 40 percent of these products can be blended with residual materials; the same applies to components made entirely of bio-based plastic. In addition to cellulose-containing wood residues, fermentation residues from biogas plants are also suitable for this purpose. Currently, bioplastics are mainly produced from sugar- or starch-containing plants such as rapeseed, corn, and sugar beets.

During our next workshop discussion, we’ll work together with expert guidance from the scientific and business communities to provide a detailed explanation of how all this works and demonstrate it hands-on in the large-scale laboratory at LaNDER³ Halle.