Output details

BioChair

This research focuses on the development of injection mouldable plastics using waste wood for structural reinforcement and their application in the manufacture of commercial furniture products.

Worldwide, furniture manufacturers have tended to focus on the recyclability of high-energy embodied technological materials rather than on the use of renewably sourced biopolymers. Funded by Unitec Institute of Technology and SCION, a New Zealand Government Crown Research Institute, via the Foundation for Science and Technology, the research employed a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to ensure a range of stakeholders were engaged to achieve the best possible outcomes. Laboratory controlled performance analysis of existing petrochemical-based plastics used in furniture production led to benchmarked specifications for a bio-based plastic replacement. Different biopolymers formulations were studied for desirable mechanical properties. Three formulations were further explored that used the biodegradable polymer polylactic acid matrix (PLA) and waste MDF-based wood fibres. Laboratory testing of the three formulations compared to a control of 20% glass fibre reinforcement within an 80% Polypropylene confirmed all three exhibited superior tensile mechanical properties. The polymers were trialled for mixing by polymer manufacturers and moulding by injection moulders. The design of an injection-moulded chair for use in public spaces was created and used to explore the potential market with furniture manufacturers and retailers.

Cradle to gate LCA examining the environmental impact of the production of the novel biopolymers in global warming potential was carried out at SCION by an LCA specialist.

BioChair was disseminated via papers and articles: ‘From Academy to Industry to User: Engaging Stakeholders in Sustainable Material Development'; 'Adding Value to the Biomaterials Story'; 'Green with Four Legs' in ProDesign Magazine; and cited in 'Metropolis Now', in Ply-ability, Hawke's Bay Museum and Art Gallery, 2009. Elements of the Lifecycle assessment were disseminated via a conference poster ‘Environmental Impact of Novel Biopolymers’.