TITLE:
New innovative composite products from the recycling of waste materials from agricultural and physical resources.
ACRONYM: PHRESCO
PROJECT CODE: Τ6ΥΒP-00006
Exploitation of residual biomass from various sources can make a significant contribution to the transition to a circular economy. An important branch of the economy based on the use of natural resources is the composite wood products industry (particleboard, fiberboard, plywood, etc.).
In Greece there is a shortage of timber, while respectively due to the dynamic branch of primary production we produce large quantities of agricultural and marine residues
The objective of the project is the use of agricultural residues and Posidonia leaves (marine waste) in applications of high added value and specifically in the production of innovative boards (panels) of new aesthetics and improved properties (lighter, without formaldehyde releases and with improved mechanical and waterproof properties) using adhesives based on vegetable raw materials. In particular, corn, sunflower and industrial hemp residues will be used. After the harvest of the main product of these plants, significant quantities of biomass remain, which are currently unused.
Specifically, from the corn remains the stem, the leaves and the inside of the cob, from the sunflower remains the stem and from the industrial hemp remains the inner wooden part of the stem. These residual materials will be used in replacement of virgin wood in the production of particleboards, lighter and of improved mechanical properties as compared to traditional ones.
Another natural resource, which is sustainably available but untapped, is the dead leaves of Posidonia (Posidonia Oceanica). 40-50 tons per year are washed up on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and sent to landfill, thus destroying an important source of biomass and burdening government funds with their collection cost and payment of fines to the EU due to their non-utilization. Posidonia leaves will be used in the manufacture of panels, which will then be glued onto the particleboards creating new cover surfaces in the final product.
The ultimate goal is the production of a three-layer composite product of the "sandwich" type where the core material will be particleboard from agricultural crop residues and the outer surface materials (covering) will be plates of Posidonia leaves. Such a three-layer product will allow to create boards with new surfaces of original aesthetics and with improved surface properties (e.g. water resistance) which cannot be achieved by lignocellulosic materials. For the production of all board types of the project, new adhesives will be used, derived from raw materials of plant origin. Such adhesives will be developed by the project partners. The final board products can be used in a variety of applications including furniture, interior construction, but also useful objects. The technology and the products that will be developed in the project will increase the biomass utilization in Greece and will cover the need of the market field, for lighter products, friendly to human and the environment, free from materials derived from petrochemicals and with improved properties and new aesthetics. The proposed project meets all the above needs, providing sustainable solutions that help in protecting the environment and promote the utilization of a large category of waste in value-added applications in the framework of circular economy.
The objectives of the project are:
1. To propose solutions for the proper management and rational use of plant residues, with a view to protecting the environment and promoting the circular economy.
2. To introduce to the market new innovative products made entirely from renewable residual materials, which are friendly to human and the environment.