Many branches of industry are facing the challenge of using alternative materials and developing customised production processes - including the furniture and packaging industries, for example. The ‘ProWellHo’ research project of the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging (IVV) is dedicated to precisely this topic. The aim is to develop plant-based protein adhesives that will fulfil the high performance requirements of the industry in the future and enable the most energy-efficient production processes possible.

Corrugated board is a versatile material that is used in packaging and numerous other applications. Up to now, starch adhesives based on maize, potatoes, wheat and sometimes peas have mainly been used for production. In combination with the bio-based material cardboard, they are sustainable and do not interfere with recycling. On the other hand, depending on the process, a relatively high amount of energy may be required to dry the corrugated cardboard after gluing.

And this is precisely where the Fraunhofer IVV's ‘ProWellHo’ research project comes in, in collaboration with other research institutes and industrial partners. The approach: plant-based protein adhesives. By increasing the solids content of the adhesive formulation to at least 50 per cent and enabling processing at lower process temperatures compared to starch adhesives, the energy requirement could be significantly reduced. If the assumptions are confirmed, protein adhesives would be an energy-saving alternative.

Source:  farbeundlack.de