Project

Sustainable Binderless Product Technology

This project will develop 100% lignocellulose based materials without biorefinery process and without adding glues or chemicals. It focuses on the further development of the Sustainable Binderless Product Technology.

Motivation and Challenge

The transition towards a circular and biobased economy asks for alternatives for plastic packaging and wood fibre boards containing oil based glues. Currently lignocellulosic alternatives for plastic packaging (e.g. paper) have poor water resistance, and poor water and vapour barrier properties. Therefore 100% lignocellulosic alternatives are only an option in very limited applications (e.g. egg boxes and paper trays). In the early 2000’s Wageningen Food & Biobased Research has developed and demonstrated a technology that is able to produce a high performance board from coconut husk. WFBR has with this a proven concept that can use non-food, residual, lignocellulosic biomass to create high performance materials.

Aims

The most important goal for this project is to better understand the behaviour of the lignin present in the matrix and how to use this lignin as a natural binder by applying pressure and heat.. The process will be adapted to be suited for other lignocellulose side streams. In addition, the technology will be optimised to be able to produce thin walled and/or 3D products and it will be fine-tuned to decrease investment and processing costs.

Questions?

Contact Richard Gosselink.