{"id":32917,"date":"2026-02-25T00:43:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:43:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=32917"},"modified":"2026-02-25T00:44:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T14:44:22","slug":"sawdust-resins-are-76-tougher-than-plastics-and-could-keep-turbine-blades-out-of-landfill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/sawdust-resins-are-76-tougher-than-plastics-and-could-keep-turbine-blades-out-of-landfill\/","title":{"rendered":"Sawdust Resins Are 76% Tougher Than Plastics \u2014 and Could Keep Blades Out of Landfill!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>A new generation of resins made from sawdust and other agricultural waste streams could be up to 76 per cent stronger than current fossil\u2011based plastics, a breakthrough that could reshape composite manufacturing across energy, transport and industrial supply chains. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oulu.fi\/en\/news\/forest-based-resins-challenge-fossil-materials-wind-turbines-boats-and-high-performance-adhesives\">The work, led by the University of Oulu in Finland and supported by researchers in Italy and Sweden<\/a>, marks a rare moment in materials science: a greener alternative that not only matches the performance of fossil\u2011derived materials but outperforms them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe biomass-based polyester resin we developed shows up to 76 per cent higher tensile strength than a commercial fossil-based polyester resin,\u201d said Mikko Salonen, a researcher involved in the study. Working with colleagues at Oulu, Salonen has developed high\u2011performance epoxy and polyester resins that mimic existing oil\u2011based materials, using forestry and agricultural byproducts such as sawdust and straw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The secret recipe is cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>By unlocking the potential of lignocellulosic biomass \u2014 including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin \u2014 waste-related byproducts can be converted into a range of platform chemicals, including hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and furfural, which could challenge the long-running reliance on oil\u2011derived resins that are extremely difficult to recycle at the end of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"knX7NkJILhs\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Why Wind Turbine Blades Are So Hard to Recycle | World Wide Waste\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/knX7NkJILhs?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Until now, wind turbines have been notoriously difficult to recycle, with huge volumes of blades ending up in landfills. Footage courtesy of Business Insider.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Crucially, the new materials address one of composite manufacturing\u2019s most persistent problems: end\u2011of\u2011life waste. Current composite systems \u2014 such as those used in wind turbine blades \u2014 are extremely difficult to dismantle and often end up in landfill. To counter this, researchers developed resins that can be chemically broken down and fully repurposed, enabling a closed\u2011loop manufacturing model aligned with circular\u2011economy targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Senior Research Fellow Juha Heiskanen, the shift to biomass\u2011based feedstocks can be achieved without major capital expenditure, with new formulations designed to work within existing chemical industry infrastructure and therefore avoid the cost barriers that often stall sustainable alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>\u201cBio-based resins will not have a significant price difference compared to fossil resins,\u201d Heiskanen said. \u201cUpgrading bio-based raw materials into high-performance materials and products offers a significant opportunity to expand the bioeconomy.\u201d<\/p><cite>The research team has already filed three patents and is now seeking industrial partners to move toward pilot\u2011scale production \u2014 a step they say is essential for commercial rollout.<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Composite panels made from new bio-resins outperform fossil-based plastics. Here, panels were tested in a harbour for 90 days to determine the effects of water, solar UV radiation, temperature, and humidity on them. For more, check out Wood Central. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wr7Q62MzNM\">pic.twitter.com\/wr7Q62MzNM<\/a><\/p>&mdash; WoodCentralAu (@WoodCentralAU1) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WoodCentralAU1\/status\/2026299232886645202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 24, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h6 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A future beyond pulp, and into much higher-value uses of forest fibre.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n<p>Wood Central understands that the breakthrough also signals a major shift for producers and manufacturers who have traditionally focused on pulp production. By integrating forest\u2011based residues into high\u2011value chemical supply chains, the research opens new commercial pathways for countries with abundant biomass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And for Europe \u2014 home to less than 2 per cent of global oil reserves \u2014 the development carries strategic weight. Bio\u2011based resins offer a pathway to greater material self\u2011sufficiency while supporting climate and circular\u2011economy objectives, particularly in sectors under pressure to decarbonise without compromising performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"le1GpQn4QAM\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beyond Timber &amp; Paper: Next-Gen Wood Products Are Everywhere!\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/le1GpQn4QAM?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>In 2024, Wood Central publisher spoke to Duncan Mayes, the founder and principal of Helsinki-based Lignutech Oy, about the push by Europe&#8217;s forest giants to invest in developing new bioproducts from cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Footage courtesy of WoodCentral.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The findings were published in February 2026 in Circular composite materials: Biomass-based furan epoxies with high-performance and closed-loop recyclability, released last week in Composites Part B: Engineering. The work forms part of the Business Finland\u2011funded FurBio flagship project, which brings together Finnish, Italian and Swedish research institutions to accelerate the commercialisation of bio\u2011based composites. Parallel progress on polyester resins is advancing through the Interreg Aurora\u2011funded SUSBICO project, which has already demonstrated the viability of unsaturated polyester resins derived from bio\u2011sourced furan monomers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A new generation of resins made from sawdust and other agricultural waste streams could be up to 76 per cent stronger than current fossil\u2011based plastics, a breakthrough that could reshape composite manufacturing across energy, transport and industrial supply chains. The work, led by the University of Oulu in Finland and supported by researchers in Italy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":32918,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"default","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[33,53,2,32,46,115,45,44,31],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[70],"class_list":{"0":"post-32917","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-editors-picks","8":"category-europe","9":"category-featured","10":"category-global-news","11":"category-industry","12":"category-preservation","13":"category-sustainability","14":"category-sustainable-forest-management","15":"category-top-stories"},"authors":[{"term_id":70,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"jason","display_name":"Jason Ross","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg","url2x":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/J-Ross-headshot.jpeg"},"0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32917"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32922,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32917\/revisions\/32922"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32917"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=32917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}