Beech wood fibres as brick insulation material
Beech wood fibres are to be used in the future as a component of climate-friendly brick insulation materials. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is funding the construction of a pilot plant for the use of beech wood fibres as a brick insulation material with funds from the Renewable Resources Funding Programme. The Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Ophelia Nick, on 8 september 2022 handed over the funding decisions totalling 1.86 million euros to the three project participants.
„By processing beech fibres into insulating mats for brick fillings, the project participants are opening up a further utilisation option for beech wood. Here, forestry, insulation material and brick production are working together with science entirely in the sense of the bio-based economy. The project is also based on the guidelines of the Charter for Wood 2.0,“ said Dr Ophelia Nick when handing over the funding notification.
The concept of the pilot plant is based on the findings that are being studied and evaluated on a laboratory scale at the Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut (WKI). The work objectives include the development of a process for defibration and further processing of, among other things, calamity-damaged beech wood into a flexible fibre mat or a wood foam as a filler in the bricks. The aim is to optimise the water absorption, fire and glow behaviour of the insulation material. Various technical processes are being investigated for filling the bricks with fibre insulation mats or wood foam or wood foam granulates made of beech. The final goal is the approval of the brick wood material at the German Institute for Building Technology, the industrial implementation of the process and the targeted marketing of the beech wood fibre-filled brick.
The starting signal for the concept development and the construction of a pilot plant for wood fibre mat or foam production at Teterower Loick Biowertstoff GmbH was given in October 2022. The Fraunhofer WKI will optimise and evaluate the use of the beech wood fibre materials; Ziegelwerk Bellenberg Wiest GmbH & Co. KG is working on the solution for filling the bricks. The work is expected to be completed in 2025.
