Sustainable alternatives are needed to reduce the use of petroleum-based polymers. The international project OrangeOil, in which the Fraunhofer IMWS is also involved in addition to the SKZ plastics center, provides a promising approach. The aim is to develop a bio-based epoxy resin system from orange peels – a residue from the production of juice and jam.

The hitherto widespread use of petroleum-derived polymers is becoming increasingly problematic. The bioeconomy approach is intended to provide more sustainable solutions, so that products are manufactured using renewable raw materials, biological residues and innovative processes. Natural oils and their extraction from organic waste and production residues are of particular interest for the chemical industry. They do not have to be obtained directly from crops or energy crops and do not compete for arable land for primary food production. The OrangeOil project meets these requirements and develops epoxy resin systems based on orange oil from orange peels. The project wants to make a contribution to the development of new production technologies and new materials for the processing industry and to meet both economic requirements and requirements for climate and environmental protection.

Wide range of applications for bio-based epoxy resins

Bio-based epoxy resins made from orange oil should in future serve a wide range of applications in rail vehicles, sports equipment, automobiles, architecture, shipbuilding and interior design. OrangeOil’s goal is to develop a bio-based two-component system for special applications, such as use as a pure resin layer in floor coverings and as a matrix component in fiber composite materials. The combination of the resin with natural fibers in biocomposites is considered particularly attractive due to its properties such as low density, high specific stiffness and the sustainability of the raw materials.

As part of the project, the partners SKZ, Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems (IMWS) and TÜBITAK Marmara Research Center are investigating the production and handling of the resin and hardener components. After making the orange oil, it is epoxidized and used to make samples (pure resin and reinforced plastics). The bio-based resins and fiber-reinforced plastics are comprehensively characterized. The biogenic material is matched to the processing technology in order to ensure a reproducible process control through the creation of robust technical rules.

Interested companies can participate

The OrangeOil project started on October 1, 2021. Interested companies are invited to participate free of charge in the project-related committee of the OrangeOil research project (NR 299 EGB), to help shape the investigations and to find out about the current results. The project is funded as part of the CORNET program (Collective Research Networking). The initiative networks national and regional joint research programs from different countries in order to enable international research projects for the benefit of small and medium-sized companies. In Germany, CORNET is based on the joint industrial research (IGF) funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK).