From waste to renewable resources

Although petroleum remains the primary source for producing commodity chemicals and fuels, most chemical companies face challenging problems due to volatile energy markets. Alternative and more sustainable sources are urgently needed. The dry matter that makes up plants – lignocellulose – is one option. It represents the most abundant supply of organic matter worldwide, and as it is the essential feedstock for the valuable pulp and paper industry, there is already an industrial supply on hand.

Despite the abundance of lignocellulose, making full use of its components is not a trivial matter. Lignocellulosic biomass consists mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, but the traditional pulping process only upgrades the cellulose. About 98% of lignin is burned directly in the mills themselves in an energy recovery phase. The nature of this lignin depends on the pulping process employed.