Research: Bio-Materials

Sustainable Furniture

We are developing a collection of ergonomic furniture composed of renewable bioplastics, natural dyes, and waste crop fiber. Components are manufactured using a host of digital prototyping tools, such as 3D printing, laser cutting, compression molding and three-dimensional laminations. Composed of more than 98% renewable biomass, the furniture's environmental footprints are a fraction of mainstream alternatives.

Compressed Fiber Panels

The building sector accounts for 34% of global carbon emissions, making it a major contributor to climate change. Through material science and industrial design, experimental building materials are manufactured and tested to assess commonly-cited limitations of natural materials - durability, performance, scalability, and validation of environmental benefit. Specifically, the project explores the carbon storage capacity of bio-based building products, offering a more robust and quantitative understanding of how these materials can contribute to achieving net-zero carbon goals by 2050.

Injection Molding with Bioplastics

Highly customizable injection molding applications are under exploration, using renewable bioplastics and 3D printed molds from high-temperature resins. Plant fiber additives are blended with bioplastics to accelerate biodegradation relative to petroleum polymers.