Sawdust waste turned into fire-resistant building panels
Across the global timber industry, vast quantities of sawdust are generated as a byproduct of processing wood. Most of this material is either burned for energy or discarded in landfills, where it gradually releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere. However, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a method to transform this overlooked waste into durable, fire-resistant panels.
By combining compressed sawdust with a mineral-based binder, the team has created a material suitable for interior walls and partitions, offering a more sustainable alternative for construction while reducing industrial waste.
Ronny Kürsteiner, who developed the process as part of his doctoral thesis, said that the material is stronger under compression perpendicular to the grain than the original spruce timber.
