Activities in biocomposites

DLR — the German Aerospace Center — is the aerospace agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. Core competences are in aeronautics, space flight, energy technology, and traffic management. With 4700 employees, DLR maintains eight sites in Köln-Porz, Berlin, Bonn, Braunschweig, Göttingen, Lampoldshausen, Oberpfaffenhofen, and Stuttgart and operates 31 institutes. In Braunschweig, at the Institute of Structural Mechanics, more than 100 employees are engaged in the development of innovative concepts for lightweight structures, especially in the field of aerospace technology. Core competences are applications involving fiber composite materials. In addition to classic composites using glass or carbon reinforcing fibers, so-called biocomposites with their constituents derived from renewable resources are being developed. Biocomposites have properties similar to well-established glass fiber composites, but offer additional eco-friendly recovery options.