Imagine taking the leftover scraps from industrial plants and turning them into a natural shield that stops materials from catching fire. Instead of using toxic chemicals that pollute the earth, this process uses plant-based compounds to make plastics and wood safer. It's like upgrading waste into a high-tech safety coating that can be easily recycled when the product is old.
Many industrial materials rely on toxic petrochemicals (SVHC) that are harmful to health and make recycling nearly impossible. This leads to millions of tons of hazardous waste being landfilled or burned.
Bio-based intumescent flame retardants (bio-IFRs) and a set of demonstrators including treated wood, bio-carbon fibers, recyclable bio-epoxy resins, and fire-resistant PLA-biochar composites.
If you are a wood product manufacturer dealing with strict fire safety laws and toxic chemical bans — this project developed bio-based flame retardants that enhance fire resistance and durability for outdoor use. It also includes a topcoat to stop chemicals from leaking out, extending the product's life.
If you are a composite parts supplier dealing with non-recyclable carbon fiber waste — this project developed bio-epoxy resins with a special hardener that allows the material to be broken down. This enables the production of fire-resistant parts that can actually be recovered and reused.
If you are a bioplastic producer dealing with the flammability of PLA plastics — this project developed PLA-biochar composites enhanced with biophenols. This creates a fire-resistant thermoplastic that can be reformulated into new biocomposites.
Based on available project data, specific pricing and cost-benefit analysis figures are not provided.
The project uses proven technologies like liquid extraction and fast pyrolysis to isolate biophenols from industrial biomass sidestreams, suggesting a path toward industrial scaling.
Based on available project data, specific licensing terms are not mentioned, though the project aims to make results FAIR and available for market uptake.
Yes, it specifically targets the replacement of substances of very high concern (SVHC) to align with the European Green Deal's Zero Pollution ambition.
The project period runs from 2024-06-01 to 2028-05-31, indicating that full validation and benchmarking will occur toward the end of this window.
The consortium is heavily geared toward commercialization, with a 50% industry ratio (6 industrial partners, 5 of which are SMEs). With 12 partners across 10 countries, the project balances academic research (1 university, 5 research centers) with practical industrial application, led by the Finnish research center VTT.
Contact TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY in Finland
Contact us to find a partner for bio-based flame retardant integration.
