Sustainable lightweight construction:
Vulcanised fibre as a lightweight construction material

According to the environmental portal geo.de, the construction industry accounts for around 38 percent of global_{CO2 emissions}. The reason: the production of steel, iron and concrete requires a lot of energy and thus inevitably leads to a correspondingly large emission of greenhouse gases. There is also another problem: sand is needed for the production of cement - and on a large scale. According to Zeit.de, sand is the second largest traded resource in the world in terms of volume. Particularly alarming: our sand is becoming scarce and its extraction is damaging the environment. Both factors - i.e. the high_{CO2 emissions} and the scarcity of sand - are putting pressure on the construction industry. Lightweight construction is one way out. It can help to significantly reduce resource consumption, both to curb the negative effects on the climate and to conserve our deposits of sand and other resources.

What is meant by lightweight construction?

Lightweight construction is a design concept in which weight is saved by using light materials. Thus, lightweight construction is not only in demand in architecture, but also in industries such as automotive and aviation, because: Every kilo of weight saved means lower fuel consumption in the latter industries. This in turn reduces operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The central problem with lightweight construction: many materials that fulfil a certain function, such as reinforced concrete in the construction industry, cannot simply be replaced by other materials. So-called lightweight materials are of central importance for corresponding constructions. On the one hand, they combine important properties such as mechanical stability and resistance to acids, alkalis, etc. with low weight. This makes lightweight materials the game changer of our time.

Lightweight construction and resource consumption

Let's note: lightweight materials can save weight in the construction of aircraft and cars, which reduces the vehicles' fuel consumption. These materials also help to reduce the overall consumption of resources. Because as high-tech materials, they fulfil the same functions as steel, cement and other traditional building and construction materials. In short, instead of using thick concrete slabs for buildings, for example, a load-bearing element can, if necessary, be replaced by a thinner and thus lighter element made of lightweight materials. This will reduce our need for steel, iron and concrete in the medium term. This will help to reduce the problems of high resource consumption and the associated_{CO2 emissions} highlighted by the example of sand. This is by no means science fiction. Already today, the thickness of construction elements can be significantly reduced by using carbon concrete. In addition, carbon fibre is used for lightweight construction in automobile and aircraft structures. However, the material has a central catch: petroleum is needed for the production of carbon fibres. The problem of resource scarcity is therefore only shifted from sand to another finite resource.

What characterises the ideal lightweight material?

As a conclusion of all the preceding facts, there is a clear requirement profile for a lightweight material: it must be able to replace materials such as steel, concrete and co. at a significantly reduced weight for use in industries such as automotive, aviation and construction. At the same time, this material must be resource-friendly, which applies, for example, to materials based on renewable raw materials. Already at the end of the 19th century, a suitable lightweight material was invented in Wuppertal , although at that time there was not yet as much need for it as there is today. We are talking about vulcanised fibre.

Vulcanised fibre as a lightweight construction material

Vulcanised fibre is a one hundred percent natural material made from cellulose and the cotton linters in an environmentally friendly process. The finished product, our vulcanised fibre SAVUTEC, has a number of valuable properties that make it ideal for lightweight construction in various industries:

- Low weight
- high mechanical strength and stability
- relatively low weight
- good electrical insulation
- spark extinguishing
- hardly inflammable
- antistatic
- insensitive to oils, greases, diluted acids and alkalis

The processing options are also diverse: vulcanised fibre SAVUTEC can be bent, punched, coated, lasered, printed and much more. This potentially results in an enormous range of applications as a lightweight construction material for architecture, automotive and aviation.

The future in lightweight construction begins with prototypes

As a producer of vulcanised fibre SAVUTEC , we are already developing prototypes for use in lightweight construction with renowned companies and universities from all over the world. We have acquired important know-how in order to adapt the vulcanised fibres to the respective requirement profile together with our customers. For example, coating processes are used here. Whether and how vulcanised fibre is suitable for a specific application must be determined in each individual case with our customers through the development of new prototypes.

A win-win-win situation

Sustainability is on everyone's lips in view of climate change and our large consumption of resources. As a lightweight construction material, vulcanised fibre offers the potential to cover all three dimensions of sustainability - economy, ecology and socio-cultural aspects. Because in addition to the obvious positive effects on the environment, the material also offers financial incentives. Vulcanised fibre makes it possible to operate more independently of resources such as oil and sand in the construction, automotive and aviation industries, as well as in many other sectors. The fact that their price is determined on the geopolitical stage and is extremely fragile is currently demonstrated by the Ukraine war. This, in turn, also highlights the socio-cultural advantages of renewable raw materials: actors who sit at the source of important resources can no longer use them as leverage to exploit third parties and perpetuate global injustices.

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