The main goal of the BarkBuild project is to develop new bark-derived formulations to replace harmful substances in wood protection.
The three-year project draws inspiration from the natural protective function of bark and its rich chemical composition. Bark is the outer layer of tree stems that protects them from physical, mechanical, and biochemical degradation. Owing to the central role of the forest industry in the European Economic Area, including Norway, there is 23 million metric tons of tree bark available as a side-stream that does not compete with food production from arable land.
Bark is the outer layer of tree stems that protects them against UV radiation, biochemical attack and mechanical degradation.
“In essence, we will develop new wood treatment formulations and wood-based building materials that harness the natural components of bark, including polyphenols, extractives, and cellulose,” Professor Aji Mathew describes. There are also many fundamental questions that need to be answered to better understand the complex composite structure of bark and how it can be transferred to sustainable materials for indoor and outdoor environments.
“This is an excellent demonstration of a project that benefits from synergistic expertise of the researchers in the broad range of scientific disciplines, including sustainable chemistry and engineering, microbiology, and wood technology”, Assistant Professor Mika Sipponen says. We foresee that the project will significantly contribute to the mitigation of climate change by developing new, sustainable wood building materials as long-lasting carbon sinks.
The BarkBuild project includes partners from Sweden (MMK, coordinator), Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, and Latvia and will be starting in the first quarter of 2022.
->A list of projects recommended for funding is available at ForestValue’s website
Contact
Mika Sipponen
Assistant Professor
Department of Materials and Environmental Chemistry
Stockholm University
Email: mika.sipponen@mmk.su.se
Phone +468161258