04. May 2016
Research to develop biobased alternative for sound and vibration-reducing materials in railway systems
Researchers at the Food and Biobased Research Institute at Wageningen UR (the Netherlands) are working on a project aimed at replacing the isocyanate-based polymers currently used in elastic rail fastening systems by polymers posing less of an environmental hazard during use.
Wageningen UR is collaborating with Dutch companies edilon)(sedra and Croda on the project.
Entitled ‘MAGIC’ (based on the Dutch translation of ‘environmentally-friendly alternatives for hazardous isocyanate-based components’), the goal is to develop new resins from biomass, which are able to cure quickly into an elastic rubber-like compound. These biomass-based polymers can be applied as elastic sound and vibration-reducing materials and the scientists are studying various chemical compounds. The final material should be less moisture-sensitive in processing and have a short curing time. In addition, it must meet specific mechanical material requirements and adhere well to rails and concrete.
According to project leader Rolf Blaauw from Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research, a sustainability analysis is part of the project: “We are looking to determine the environmentally-friendliness of the new material. The tangible end product of the project is a prototype of the rail fastening system made with the biobased two-component resin.”
The project is part of the ongoing large-scale research Biobased Performance Materials (BPM) program. On Thursday 16 June, the fifth annual BPM symposium is scheduled to take place, at which the current biobased performance materials research developments will be presented. The program features speakers from, among other companies, ADM, Sabic, Sulzer and Croda.
The BPM program is partly financed by the Top Sector Chemistry and is led by Wageningen UR Food & Biobased Research. The goal of the program is to develop high-quality materials based on biomass; materials that are increasingly applied in practice. The research focuses on two types of polymer materials: polymers produced by plants and polymers from biobased building blocks produced via biotechnology or chemical catalysis.