Wageningen University & Research conducts studies into biobased alternatives for resins, among other things. For this panel residue material from wine cork production was granulated, glued with a plant-based resin, and hot pressed into panels. These panels can be used as thermal and acoustic insulation, and also as a wall finish.
What’s next
Next steps for scale-up include adjusting the rheology of the resins, improving reactivity (decrease curing temperature) and gaining appreciation for better performance in terms of environmental impact and human toxicity.