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
