Horizon-MSCA-Bio-Acouis Workshop „Biobased solutions for improved acoustic applications” in Linz

The programme was divided into four different sessions. At the beginning, Area Manager Robert Putz (Wood K plus) and Bio-Acouis Key Researcher Mustafa Ersoz (Bürotime, Turkey) welcomed the participants. Session one consisted mainly of presentations from the ‘Bio-Acouis’ subject area. Murat Ertekin (NEW University Konya, Turkey) reported on the various products and architectural interiors and their impact on room acoustics. Birgit Kamm (Wood K plus) reported on the various biorefinery concepts and worldwide activities in her presentation. Erik van Herwijnen (Wood K plus) gave an overview of the material properties of resins and their wood-based materials in his presentation slides. The first session was concluded with a product portfolio from Kastamonu, which was presented by Ümran Burcu Alkan (KEAS, Turkey).

Session two was followed by a discussion in groups on three flipcharts. Each flipchart was supervised by a speaker and an assistant. Flipchart one was led by Birgit Kamm and Mucella Ates (NEW University Konya, Turkey) and focussed on natural materials ‘Raw materials from wood’. The second flipchart was entitled ‘Nanomaterials’ and was led by Inese Filipova (LSIWC, Latvia) and Raphaela Süss (Wood K plus). The final flipchart was led by Erik van Herwijnen and Franz Zeppetzauer (both from Wood K plus) and was entitled ‘Fully biobased acoustic panels & possibility of recycling’. The groups changed every 20 minutes in order to write down as many aspects of the topics as possible on the flipcharts.  

The first day was rounded off with a presentation by Mustafa Ersoz, who gave an interim update on the Bio-Acouis figures and called for future joint project submissions with the partners present. In particular, ‘Horizon 2024-2025’ funding programme was considered and promising RIA and IA calls were listed.

On the second day of the workshop, further lectures were presented in the third session. Elena Merli (NTT, Italy) presented various aspects of the production of nonwoven fabrics from bio-based fiber materials. Janis Rizikovs (LSIWC, Latvia) gave a comprehensive insight into the production of composite materials from betulins and suberins. Raphaela Süss's (Wood K plus) slides dealt with the heterogeneously catalysed depolymerisation of lignins with precious metal catalysts. Ilze Irbe's (LSIWC, Latvia) presentation dealt with the production of mycelia from fungi in order to produce moulded bodies, panels, etc.

The workshop participants were then taken on a site visit tour by Matthias Mihalic (Wood K plus) through the local technical center facilities. There were also plenty of interested questions from the visitors. The day was concluded with a presentation by Giovanni Amadasi (SCS Vibroacoustics, Italy), who presented the results of sound acoustics experiments on panels from the Bio-Acouis project.

Highlight of the workshop was the moderation of future topics and derived projects for broad using of lignin, cellulose, mycelium for new building and architecture.

Biobased solutions within the project are driven for a circular economy focussing on modern bioacoustic products, interior architecture and product design. The key task is the development of advanced biorefinery technologies and materials. Cellulose, microfibrillated cellulose, Bacterial cellulose & Lignin nano-materials have been developed in the recent years and industrially established step by step (e.g. electrospinning of fibers, preparation of nanolignin and nano fribrillated cellulose). The focus of research is currently set on resins, deriving from natural precursors, such as suberinic acid and lignin. Fully biobased mycelium composite materials are also a promising new approach (for construction & insulation).

The participants assessed that the workshop provided a good basis for further EU projects in this research field.