Potential in lignin sustainability
May 1, 2013
By Composites World
May 1, 2013, Montreal, Que. – Domtar Corp. based in Montreal, has been producing its trademarked BioChoice lignin since February at its commercial-scale lignin separation plant in Plymouth, N.C. The company believes that the operation opens a new path for the industry.
An article from www.compositesworld.com, says that the company has a targeted rate of 75 metric tonnes (about 165,345 lb)
per day, and the lignin is to be used for a wide range of industrial
applications in the form of bio-based alternatives to petroleum-based
fuels, and thermoset and thermoplastic resins. Notably, the material has
potential for use as an alternative precursor in the production of
industrial-grade carbon fiber.
The successful installation of
commercial-scale lignin removal capacity at the Plymouth mill is the
culmination of a research and engineering project launched by Domtar in
2010. The project got a boost when the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the company a grant through
the Biomass Research and Development Initiative.
“This is a big win for sustainability
on two counts: Domtar improves the efficiency of its pulpmaking process,
and at the same time, the market gets a reliable, high-quality source
of this underused material with so much potential," said Hasan Jameel, a
professor in North Carolina State University’s Department of Forest
Biomaterials.
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