In Colorado, a study conducted by scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows for the first time that white-rot fungi are able to use carbon captured from lignin as a carbon source, which could be further exploited to simultaneously convert the biopolymer into value-added compounds. The research confirms a hypothesis from Davinia Salvachúa […]
In France, researchers reporting in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering have found that microbes from the guts of certain termite species can help break down lignin, a particularly tough polymer in straw. In previous research, they showed that gut microbes from four termite species could degrade lignin in anaerobic bioreactors. Now they wanted to take […]
In Finland, Stora Enso is investing EUR 14 million to build a granulation and packing plant for lignin, allowing easier packing and handling of lignin compared to powder and wet form. The construction of the granulation plant is estimated to begin by the end of the second quarter of 2021 and to be complete in […]
In Georgia, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that a new low-temperature multi-phase process for upgrading lignin bio-oil to hydrocarbons could help expand use of the lignin, which is now largely a waste product left over from the productions of cellulose and bioethanol from trees and other woody plants. Using a dual catalyst […]
In New York state, a research team at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) has a plan to turn waste into a green solvent for biofuel production. They concluded that lignin – a polymer deposited in the cell walls of many plants – has the potential to replace biomass processing solvent and drive […]
In Sweden, the companies Peab Asfalt and Sekab have reached a milestone by replacing a fraction of the oil-based bitumen with softwood lignin on a highly busy road area in Sweden. The progress has been made under the EU project Rewofuel. The Rewofuel project is starting the first attempts to lay asphalt with lignin on […]
In Washington state, researchers are producing and testing a group of hydrocarbon molecules made from lignin, a waste material from biofuel production, as a new biojet fuel that could replace petroleum-based fuels and lead to greater performance and reduced emissions. The team including a Washington State University Tri-Cities researcher with colleagues from the University of […]
In Tennessee, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are developing new and valuable uses for lignin, a byproduct of biorefineries and the pulp and paper industry. These new product streams can take advantage of the natural properties of lignin in biomass to create materials with unique performance advantages. ORNL’s lignin-based inventions include: Renewable composites for […]
In the Netherlands, Avantium N.V received €0.5 million (about $0.54 USD) for its participation in the CHAPLIN XL project from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency to test a new approach to substantially reduce CO2 emissions from road construction by using lignin as a substitute for fossil-based bitumen in asphalt. Lignin is a main constituent of woody […]
In South Korea, a research team at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, or UNIST, has presented a new biofuel system that uses lignin found in biomass for the production of hydrogen. The system decomposes lignin with a molybdenum (Mo) catalyst to produce high value-added compounds, and the electrons extracted in the process effectively […]
