The Baden-Württemberg start-up carbonauten GmbH has now been honoured with a German Innovation Award in the „Materials & Surfaces“ category.
A plastic that does not produce CO₂ during its production, but rather removes it from the atmosphere, and is the basis for high-quality and at the same time inexpensive biodegradable or durable products - this concept of carbonauten GmbH convinced the jury of the German Innovation Award. The start-up company from Giengen in Baden-Württemberg received the award „Winner Excellence in Business to Business“ in the „Materials & Surfaces“ category.
Disposable tableware, straws and plastic packaging increasingly have a reputation for being harmful to the environment and the climate. The carbonauten show with their carbonauten OCM (Organic Carbon Material) material family (patent pending), that there is another way. The material, which consists of CO₂-reducing biocarbons and binders, stores the equivalent of up to 3.6 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne.
Because the Biocarbons for this come from any residues of woody and plant biomass, which would otherwise rot and generate greenhouse gases. The CO₂-neutral production process also produces the following by-products Surplus, base-load-capable renewable energy in the form of heat and electricity, which can be used to supply local industry and households in a climate-friendly way.
The new carbonauten OCM material can be used to create either biodegradable or durable products. For example, organic plant pots whose binders decompose in the soil, providing plants with nitrogen for growth and the biocarbons form the basis for the „Terra Preta super fertiliser“. Also Disposable tableware, coffee to go cups, straws and food packaging can be produced from degradable carbonauten OCM.
The non-degradable variants result in Housing and components such as brickwork, panels for floors, walls and ceilings, panels, masonry, fibre-reinforced load-bearing structures or thermosolar façades. Foams can also be produced that provide cushioning, acoustic and thermal insulation, filtering or are used in lightweight construction. Also However, these variants can be recycled in original quality after use. According to the start-up, the production of carbonauten OCM is also economically attractive. It is even cheaper than conventional materials.
„Our dream from the very beginning was to make a contribution to climate protection. With carbonauten OCM, we can do that. It's great that the jury of the German Innovation Award has recognised this in this way. This will give me and my partner Christoph Hiemer even more motivation when we start industrial production in mid-2021,“ says founder Torsten Becker, who received the award virtually on 26 May.
EurA AG, Aalen University (co-development of plastics) and various manufacturers from the automotive, plant engineering, plastics, packaging and construction sectors are also on board.
[infotext icon]carbonauten GmbH was founded in 2017 by Torsten Becker and Christoph Hiemer in Giengen (an der Brenz) with the aim of actively removing CO₂ from the atmosphere, storing it in ecologically sustainable and profitable products and avoiding other greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide[/infotext].
Source: carbonauten
