BananaPlac

When developing new materials, more and more companies are relying on the use of organic waste such as wood shavings, the spindles of corn cobs or cellulose fibers from the remains of apple juice production. Because these are usually available in large quantities and would otherwise have to be disposed of in a different way.

Fiber material from banana trees

BananaPlac is the result of a student project at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). Fiber material from banana trees is used to produce a thermally formable panel material. In South America, the waste from banana plants has long been used in interior and furniture design. In addition, good experience has been gained with the use of natural fibers as a substitute product for GRP in vehicle construction and they have been successfully used in fiber-reinforced concrete.

In the production of BananaPlac panels, the fibers are combined with biologically produced polyurethane as a matrix material and pigmented in different colors. With its natural feel, the material is now also available in Europe and can be obtained from Barktex, a bark cloth manufacturer. With this, the company is expanding its range of products and materials manufactured in-house.

www.barktex.com