Bio-Based Composite Building Blocks "BioBrick"
BioBrick
This research project focuses on the development of bio-based bricks utilizing binders derived from by-products of the wood value chain. These resources have traditionally been thermally utilized, resulting in the re-release of previously bound CO₂. The primary objective is to achieve long-term carbon sequestration while enabling repeated reuse of the materials as construction components within a closed-loop system.
Challenge: The paradox of reversibility
Circular construction materials impose specific requirements across their entire life cycle, from processability to end-of-life recovery. This leads to a fundamental trade-off: during service life, the bricks must exhibit high mechanical performance, whereas at the end of life, the bonding system must be sufficiently reversible to allow for efficient material separation, reprocessing, and reuse.
Project objectives
The project systematically investigates and characterizes various bio-based raw materials and binder formulations. In addition to evaluating mechanical properties, the energy input across the production process is quantified and assessed. These analyses form the basis for evaluating scalability, energy efficiency, and the economic feasibility of the proposed approach.
Current research status
The results obtained to date demonstrate mechanical properties comparable to those of conventional mineral bricks, representing a promising basis for further material development and optimization
