Swiss consortium makes fire-resistant panels from sawdust and watermelon seeds
In Switzerland, a team from ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) has developed fire‑resistant panels made from sawdust and watermelon seeds. Building on the doctoral research of Ronny Kürsteiner, the scientists bound sawdust particles with struvite—a naturally occurring mineral made of ammonium, magnesium, and phosphate. According to Yanko Design, an enzyme extracted from watermelon seeds helped guide how the struvite crystals formed and spread through the sawdust structure.
The resulting composite is impressively robust: it withstands compression better than spruce wood, endures direct flames for more than three times longer than untreated timber, and can be fully recycled at the end of its life.
Category: Chemicals & Materials
