Wood K plus wins Innovation Award of the Province of Upper Austria (OÖ Landespreis für Innovation) 2019

On October 24th 2019, the 26th Innovation Awards of the Province of Upper Austria were presented in the ORF Studios in Linz. From a total of 73 submissions, a twelve-member jury selected the winners in the categories "Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises", "Large Enterprises" and "Research Institutes". For the second time after 2014, Wood K plus won the award for research institutes. Together with the "Jury Award for Radical Innovation" of 2015, Wood K plus has won three awards in five years.

 

The award went to the submission of "(Highly) porous carbon bodies based on renewable raw materials as precursors for silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics, activated carbon filters and materials for energy storage". The developed material combinations are based on a mixture of resins and natural fibers as well as finely dispersed plastics. They contain up to 75 % of renewable raw materials. They are processed into 3D bodies using conventional plastics technology processes such as extrusion or injection molding. The bio-based porous carbon bodies are prepared by carbonization at 900°C. They are used as precursors for SiC ceramics, from which efficient resistance heaters can be produced. Furthermore, they can be used as waste water filters for the removal of pesticides and herbicides or as electrodes in energy storage systems.