EPFL researchers show formaldehyde can break down lignin

In Switzerland, in a new method by EPFL chemists, the simple addition of formaldehyde could turn lignin into the main focus. Because it is difficult to process, lignin is usually discarded during biofuel processing. EPFL scientists have now turned lignin from a nuisance to an important source of biofuel by simply adding a common chemical, converting up to 80% of it into valuable molecules for biofuel and plastics. The patent-pending method, which can be scaled up to industrial levels, is published in Science.