LIMOWOOD · Advanced wood plastic composite material for the production of bath furniture resistant to moisture and free of coatings

LIMOWOOD solution will develop a Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) made of a recycled thermoplastic polymer and natural reinforcing particles derived from wood. The resulting material will represent a number of advantages:•Weight and density comparable to current wood-based pannels (700 kg/m3). This will provide reduction in the cost of transport of furniture items and use of cheaper fasteners and fittings to support weight.•Improved mechanical resistance (modulus of elasticity >4.5 GPa and tensile strength > 55 MPa).•Improved resistance to moisture and fungal decay by 35% making durable bathroom furniture•Cost-competitive material and derived furniture products (190-200 €/m3).•Fully recyclable material•Total avoidance of surface coatings or adhesives releasing no VOCs•Good aesthetic finish resembling natural wood.LIMOWOOD will enter the market by filling the gap between high-standing products made of pure solid wood that have high price (1000-2700 €/m3) and require the use of coatings but have good mechanical resistance and the best finish, and low-standing products with very affordable prices (180 €/m3) but reduced mechanical properties, durability and resistance to moisture.The developments presented in this project will enable the participating SMEs to become more competitive in the bathroom furniture sector and be able to face current economic, technological, environmental and legislative threats. They will be providing a high quality material at a cost-effective value (190-200 €/m3) and achieving forecasted sales of 64 million € in 5 years during future commercial exploitation of the project’s results.At European level, savings of more than 120 million are estimated after project completion through the contribution of LIMOWOOD to the reduction of imports from outside Europe, reduction of VOCs emissions, reduction of wood waste, creation of new jobs in the industry and social security savings from work-related diseases.