Challenge #06

Developing an ultra-strong organic fiber to replace plastics.

Highly durable materials are not always sustainable. That is why we are working on a new material made from cellulose fibers stronger than steel, as sturdy as spider silk and easily recyclable.

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Carbon is highly stable and at the same time incredibly light – that is why it is used in Formula 1 race cars, for example. But the carbon fiber composite material is not particularly sustainable, because to date it can hardly be recycled. However, the superfiber which was developed at the PETRA III X-ray light source at Helmholtz center DESY is quite different. It consists of the natural material cellulose, i.e. the basic component of wood. A new process allows tiny cellulose fibers to be aligned in a targeted manner and formed into a tightly packed thread.

The result: the strongest biomaterial in the world, stronger than steel and as tensile as spider silk. It promises to be an environmentally friendly, recyclable plastic alternative for a wide variety of materials, especially when it comes to functionalizing surfaces. This is because the material can be sprayed and thus evenly applied in combination with other materials. How about sprayed, ultra-thin but powerful solar cells, for example?

(Header: DESY/Eberhard Reimann)