VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed methods for processing renewable surface layer of peat instead of using it for energy production. The goal is to develop bio-based composite materials containing peat fibre, for example for the manufacture of consumer products and construction materials, at the same time reducing the use of oil-based raw materials in production. VTT currently has three patent applications pending related to peat containing biocomposites.
The advantages of products containing peat fibre are their bio origin, low cost, water resistance, impact strength, excellent fire endurance characteristics and biodegradability. These materials are suitable for processing with normal plastic processing methods, using compounding, extrusion and injection moulding, for example. Milled peat can be used as peat fibre because it contains several peat fractions and preferably long fibres, which are not silt up, so it can function both as filling material and as reinforcing material in composite structures. The material can be used in construction (boards, moulding, profiles, plate structures), product applications in horticulture and in agriculture and forestry (seedling guards, planters, peat-coloured wall structures, plant supports), consumer products (golf tees, ornaments), biodegradable packaging, earth-moving (erosion protectors, biodegradable support structures) and funerary products.
