The innovation field regenerative resources, headed by Dr. Fabian Steffler will start his DaeRpa project "Ecological insulation made from rapeseed husks and bio-based epoxy resin" this year. Within this innovative project, the ability and properties of rapeseed as a biobased insulation material are examined.

The research goal of the DaeRpa project funded by the state of Saxony-Anhalt is to develop a new type of insulation material from rape husks. It is also intended to investigate whether this bio-based "building material" can have special properties in terms of insulation value, mold and fire protection. For this purpose, the peel of the oil fruit is coated with a layer of bio-based epoxy resin, which is specially developed for the project and enables an ecologically sustainable coating of the peel and is intended to be fire-retardant.

A positive research result would not only produce an innovative building material with a high cost-benefit ratio, but also increase the added value in the processing of rapeseed.

In order to investigate these questions, researchers in the Renewable Resources innovation field at the Fraunhofer Center for Chemical-Biotechnological Processes CBP have teamed up with the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS.