Biobased solvent to be ready for the market

The disposal of solvents in the chemical industry is often problematic because many of the substances are harmful to the environment. Biobased solvents would be a good alternative, but only a small part of the 20 million tons produced annually can be called such. Researchers at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) have found a solvent in dimethylfuran (DMF) that they can produce biobased. In a new research project, it is now to be further developed for industrial use.

Wooden buildings have enormous potential as carbon stores

Wood as a building material has a significantly smaller ecological footprint than conventional materials and is therefore becoming increasingly important. Compared to houses made of steel and concrete, trees store CO2 emissions. Particularly in view of a growing world population, wooden houses in cities could make an important contribution to climate protection, as a study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) shows.
 

Epoxy resin from orange peel

Bio-based - but not quite. That is often the case for sustainable building materials such as biofiber composites. Although natural fibers with excellent ecological and technical properties exist, resin is ultimately needed to turn them into the desired material. Until now, petroleum-based resin often had to be used because suitable sustainable alternatives are limited. Soon, things could be different: In the OrangeOil research project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, researchers are developing a bio-based epoxy resin.

Addressing the global trade-offs of bioenergy

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in its 2030 Agenda. It formulates a total of 17 guiding goals and addresses the most important ecological, economic and social challenges. Many of these Sustainable Development Goals are relevant to the bioeconomy. They range from the fight against hunger to sustainability in production and consumption to climate protection measures.

Not everyone wants the bioeconomic transformation

Bioeconomy and the shift toward a sustainable economy: For most people, this initially sounds like a lot of research, technology and new business models. Dennis Eversberg, on the other hand, thinks first of people and mentalities. Eversberg is a sociologist at the University of Jena and heads the research project "Mentalities in Flux - Worlds of Imagination in Modern Bio-Cycle-Based Societies". Its goal is to understand people's attitudes toward the bioeconomy and what this means for the development of the bioeconomy.

More light makes for better sea grapes

On land, agriculture urgently needs to become more sustainable for environmental and climate protection; in the water, many marine regions are considered overfished. But humanity's demand for food will continue to rise. One hitherto little-used source that can be both healthy and sustainable is algae, among which are marine grapes. Researchers at the University of Bremen and the Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) have now discovered a way to significantly increase their nutritional value.

Plant diversity keeps weeds in check

Weeds are a problem for many farms. In conventional farming, heavy equipment and pesticides are used to try to kill the unwanted plants or keep them in check. In organic farming, no chemicals are used. Here, the weed problem is solved mechanically or thermally. But even this method is not ideal: it is often expensive and can also disturb soil organisms and promote erosion. Researchers at the University of Rostock have now taken a closer look at weed vegetation in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV) in a large-scale field trial. Eleven organic farms from MV were involved.

BayWa invests in fruit pit rescuers

Fruit pits from plums, cherries, peaches or apricots usually end up in the trash. In fruit processing, over 500 million kilos of pits are thrown away every year in Europe alone. For Austrian start-up Kern Tec GmbH, this is a source of raw materials for new foods. The potential of this upcycling idea has also convinced the system service provider BayWa. Through its investment arm, BayWa Venture GmbH, the Munich-based company is now joining the food tech start-up as a partner and investor.

Bridges made from biocomposites

Building a bridge to the future - the project participants in the EU research project "Smart Circular Bridge" have taken this literally. To address the sustainability deficit of many established building materials, the experts have developed a walkway and bike path bridge made of a biocomposite material. The University of Stuttgart is also involved in this project.