Germany-based chemical company BASF SE and Berlin-based designer Werner Aisslinger have created the world's first natural fiber monobloc chair, which will debut at Material Vision 2011, the trade show showcasing materials for product development, design and architecture. The exhibition is taking place in Frankfurt this week in conjunction with Techtextil 2011 and Texprocess 2011.

The Hemp Chair is manufactured using compression molding — a method commonly used in the automobile industry to produce natural fiber composites used in lightweight components such as door linings, shelves and other interior trim parts. Compression molding enables low-cost mass production of 3D objects with high mechanical resistances and very low specific weight.

To produce the chair, renewable raw materials hemp and kenaf are compressed with BASF's water-based acrylic resin Acrodur® to form an eco-friendly composite that is strong but also lightweight. Acrodur enables the use of more than 75 percent natural fibers to produce the chair; and according to BASF, does not release organic substances such as phenol or formaldehde during the cross-linking process as traditional resins do. Water is the only by-product of the curing procedure.

"For us it was important to show the versatility of natural fibers in combination with our binder," said Dr. Michael Kalbe, technical marketing dispersions for fiber bonding, BASF. "Werner Aisslinger's creation combines eco-friendliness, functionality, form and optics."

May 24, 2011