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Sustainable sealing profiles made using biopolymers

The production of sealing profiles for doors and windows can be realized using sustainable biopolymers.

Dichtungen

Figure 1: Various sealings from the Poesia Holding AG product range

Technologies

  • Thermoplastic elastomers
  • Biopolymers
  • Extrusion

Background

Around 300 tons of elastomers flow through the three extrusion lines of the Wynental-based poesia group every year. The plastics company supplies the entire Switzerland with sealing profiles from Unterkulm; large window and door manufacturers, but also joineries and private customers.

Goals

    The goal of the project was to use the existing extrusion tools to develop a product line of sealing profiles using sustainable biopolymers. The organic content of the new material should be at least 40 percent and be close to the mechanical, optical and thermal properties of the standard material. The raw materials used for the biopolymer should not come from food production.

    Results

      An extended market research was carried out with the specifications drawn up. Based on the desired properties, three biopolymers from two companies stood out. Material tests and extrusion trials on the laboratory extruder at the Institute of Polymer Engineering were able to evaluate the sampled materials as suitable for large-scale trials.

      The three biopolymers were tested on a production line at Poesia Holding AG using five existing extrusion tools.

      The extruded sealing profiles were subjected to an elongation behavior and a fatigue test and exceeded the expectations of Poesia Holding AG. The sustainable product line exhibited greater form stability in the endurance test and showed less wear.

      Two months after the feasibility study was completed, the new product line was launched via the web store.

      Filamentextrusion-ikt-ht-fhnw.png

      Figure 2: Filament extrusion with the laboratory extruder at the Institute of Polymer Engineering.

      Links


      Project information

      Execution
      Institute of Polymer Engineering FHNW
      Duration

      7 months

      Funding

      Hightech Zentrum Aargau AG

      Project team
    • FHNW: Prof. Dr. Christian Rytka, Simone Battaglia
    • Poesia Holding AG: Michael Brändli, Daniel Kurmann
    • HTZ Experte: Leendert den Haan