Researchers turn wood polymer composites into biobased SiC ceramics

In the UK, World Bio Market Insights reported that researchers at Wood K Plus, a  research institute based in Austria, have successfully transformed wood polymer composites (WPC) into high-quality silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, offering improved sustainability for the production of high-performance, high-temperature parts in power turbines and jet engines.

The breakthrough, part of the BioC4HiTech project funded through the Austrian Production of the Future program, has been hailed as a major step forward in the field of biomaterials. The process involves producing a 95% pure SiC ceramic from a preform that is 50-60% wood, with the researchers claiming that the resulting material offers the same mechanical performance and temperature resistance as standard SiC, according to the report.

According to Christoph Unterweger, team leader for fibers, carbon and ceramics at Wood K Plus, the main advantage of the new process is improved sustainability, the report added.

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