Press releases

The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF in Darmstadt enters 2026 with a comprehensive realignment. The aim is to offer end-to-end R&D services from a single source – from material selection and component evaluation to system integration, validation, and operational monitoring. To this end, the institute is combining material, structural, and system expertise with digital methods, AI, and digital twins, as well as strategies for circularity throughout the product life cycle. In this way, the Darmstadt-based researchers are helping industry partners bring safe, efficient, and durable products to market more quickly while using resources more efficiently.

Is it possible to recover plastic recyclates from previously unused waste streams in order to produce high-quality fibers and films? How can bio-based polymer fibers be manufactured so as to allow adjustable biodegradability? These are the questions being addressed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE in the Zirk-Tex project. As an alternative to mechanical processes, they are jointly developing innovative recycling methods for the production of sustainable roof underlayments and geosynthetics. This involves the analysis of the entire value chain at pilot scale.

In recent years there have been major changes in the life cycle testing of vehicles or individual components: Thanks to the state-of-the-art testing technology today where a few hours in the laboratory are sufficient for life cycle testing - whereas previously test drives on the road would take a couple of weeks for this purpose. This development was clearly reflected at the UC17 Users Conference on Biaxial Wheel and Hub Fatigue Testing, held on November 5th, 2025, in Darmstadt. Around 50 scientists and users from Europe and all around the world met at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF in Darmstadt. Thanks to a wide range of development and testing activities in the field of wheel testing and approval, the institute was able to establish itself as a technology leader. Today, its testing technology is recognized and accepted worldwide and has become an international standard for improving safety in the design of vehicle wheels and hubs. In addition, it significantly shortens development times for new, reliable, and safety-relevant products.

Tris(chloroisopropyl) phosphate – TCPP for short – effectively protects mattresses, upholstered furniture, and even thermal insulation in buildings from flammability. However, it can be released during use and is suspected of being carcinogenic and harmful to reproduction. Fraunhofer LBF is looking for partners for the "SuFlaPUR" project. Together, they will research safe and cost-effective flame retardants for polyurethanes (PUR). The aim is to identify TCPP-free and economic alternatives that meet the strict flame retardancy requirements for flexible and rigid foams respectively. Suitable PUR formulations will be tested in close cooperation. The focus will be on the correlations between the chemical structure of the alternatives and their mode of action.

New European regulations aim to increase the use of recycled materials in plastic products and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. At the same time, the shortage of single-type plastic waste and the technical and financial effort required for recycling-friendly design remain significant hurdles. Innovative approaches and close cooperation between industry, research, and policy are needed to overcome these challenges. The eighth “Forum Plastic Recyclates” will take place on March 25–26, 2026, in Darmstadt, focusing on practical issues in the mechanical recycling of plastics. Program and registration are now available online.

In the Clean Aviation project, Fraunhofer researchers teamed up with partners to develop a system that causes icy spots on aircraft wings to vibrate, removing the ice. This dramatically reduces the amount of energy needed for deicing in comparison to conventional methods. The technology is also suitable for lowemission propulsion of the future.

How can recyclates be enhanced to reliably perform in demanding, long-lasting applications? From October 8-15, 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF will answer this question at the K Trade Fair in Düsseldorf. Visit the Fraunhofer booth in Hall 7.0, Stand 70SC05. Visitors will learn how intelligent material strategies can make the circular economy fit for the future and how high-quality plastics can improve the performance and reliability of technical components. The focus here is on smart additive concepts and practical material testing.

How can recyclates be developed to be used safely, efficiently, and sustainably in highly stressed technical applications? From October 8 - 15, 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF will be answering these and many other questions about future-proof plastics solutions at the K trade fair in Düsseldorf. Visit us at Hall 7.0, Stand 70SC05. Visitors will learn how the circular economy in plastics technology is possible and marketable.

To ensure the quality of recyclates, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF is planning a new joint research project with partners from industry to optimize polyolefin recyclates for sustainable solutions. New analytical methods and user-friendly evaluation strategies should enable cost-efficient quality control and improvement of recycling processes. The project promotes the transformation into a circular economy and invites partners to collaborate. More information will be provided in a free online seminar on May 6, 2025.

Users of poly- and perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals", are under pressure due to regulatory proposals from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). This also affects the use of fluoroelastomers, whose economic significance is enormous. Fraunhofer experts initiated the "HATE-Fluor" project at the beginning of February. Together, they want to develop high-performance elastomer compounds to replace fluoropolymers in certain technical applications. Various industries can benefit from this, including manufacturers of semi-finished and finished parts as well as companies in mechanical engineering industry, medical engineering, clean room and semiconductor technology, chemical process technology and electrical applications.