Vehicles are composed by different materials and a noticeable and fundamental fraction of them (20% w/w) is constituted by plastic material, among which polyurethanes. PU is fundamental since, thanks to its properties, it enables to reduce the overall weight of the car, resulting also in a lower fuel consumption. More and more vehicles’ manufacturers and suppliers are betting on biobased alternatives derived from renewable raw materials, but a biobased plastic able to mimic technical properties of PUs as well as to provide the required aesthetics and haptics has not been developed yet. The BIOMOTIVE project will pave the ground towards the production and subsequent market penetration of biobased automotive interior parts with enhanced technical performance, improved environmental profile and economic competitiveness, with the aim of replacing the fossil-based, non-biodegradable counterparts. Within the project, innovative and advanced biobased materials with an increased biobased content (60-80%), i.e. thermoplastic polyurethanes, 2-components thermoset polyurethane foams and regenerated natural fibres, will be produced starting from renewable biomass feedstock not in competition with food and feed, leveraging innovative production techniques. Such materials will be validated into cars’ interior parts (door handles and automotive seats) demonstrating advanced properties in terms of resistance to fire, mechanical strength and flexibility as well as improved recyclability of the end-of-life products. The project will also aim at demonstrating an innovative process for the production of up to 80% biobased NIPUs, with moisture-repellant properties. The involvement of external industrial players thorough targeted dissemination events will pave the ground to the widening of the market applications of the developed biomaterials: regenerated fibres from paper-grade wood pulp into textile production and biobased TPUs in nature based solutions within the construction sector.

The main objective of the PROVIDES project is to develop a radically new, sustainable and techno-economically feasible pulping technology for wood and agro-based lignocellulose raw materials based on deep eutectic solvents (DES), a new class of natural solvents which have the unique ability to dissolve and thus mildly fractionate lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose at low temperature and atmospheric pressure for further processing into high added value materials and chemicals. The aim is to transfer recent scientific findings in novel lignin dissolving DES to process concept level that can be evaluated against current pulping processes. The technological breakthrough expected through the development of such new DES pulping technology could reduce process energy intensity by at least 40% and investment costs by 50% compared to traditional chemical pulping technology. In parallel, the development of efficient novel cellulose-dissolving DES and other DESs to process lignocellulose materials, starting with paper for recycling, is aimed at with focus on sustainability in selecting DES chemical components and technical and economic applicability of the solvent system. PROVIDES will create both fundamental and industry driven technological knowledge based on lab to bench/pilot scale experimentation, through: mapping and selection of most effective DES families; investigating processes and process technology options, including DES regeneration and recycling, in order to define full industrial processes that would isolate high quality cellulose/fibres, lignin and hemicelluloses; providing products for industrial evaluation; establishing technical data to evaluate industrial feasibility and integration; performing life-cycle oriented assessment of environmental and socio-economic performance; assessing impacts in terms of energy and cost reductions as well as new high added value applications PROVIDES could provide to the pulp and paper industry sector.

SmartLi aims at developing technologies for using technical lignins as raw materials for biomaterials and demonstrating their industrial feasibility. The technical lignins included in the study are kraft lignins, lignosulphonates and bleaching effluents, representing all types of abundant lignin sources. The raw materials are obtained from industrial partners. The technical lignins are not directly applicable for the production of biomaterials with acceptable product specifications. Therefore, pretreatments will be developed to reduce their sulphur content and odour and provide constant quality. Thermal pretreatments are also expected to improve the material properties of lignin to be used as reinforcing filler in composites, while fractionating pretreatments will provide streams that will be tested as plasticizers. Lignin is expected to add value to composites also by improving their flame retardancy. The development of composite applications is led by an industrial partner. Base catalysed degradation will be studied as means to yield reactive oligomeric lignin fractions for resin applications. The degradation will be followed by downstream processing and potentially by further chemical modification aiming at a polyol replacement in PU resins. Also PF type resins for gluing and laminate impregnation, and epoxy resins will be among the target products. Full LCA, including a dynamic process, will support the study. The outcome of the research will be communicated with stakeholders related to legislation and standardisation.

Medium- to large-scale bioenergy utilisation for electricity and combined industrial or district heating is predicted to increase by 160% in 2020 compared to 2010, while carbon emission quotas are becoming stricter. Finding new ways to efficiently utilise cheap and currently unused feedstocks are necessary in order to meet these challenges. Within the project Biofficiency we will investigate how to handle ash-related problems in order to increase steam temperatures up to 600°C in biomass-based CHP plants, including pulverised fuel and fluidised bed systems. The major aspects are fly ash formation, the use of additives, and pre-treatment technologies for difficult fuels. This leads to highly reduced emissions, in particular CO2 and fine particulates, as well as a secure and sustainable energy production. Biofficiency gathers a unique consortium of excellent academic facilities and industrial partners, providing an exceptional platform for the development of new, highly-efficient CHP plants in order to significantly expand their potential in the fast-growing field of renewable energies. By sharing our collective experience, we will strengthen European bio-energy technologies and help solving global climate and energy challenges. The project approach addresses current bottlenecks in solid biomass combustion, namely enhanced deposit formation, corrosion and ash utilisation by a variety of new, promising technologies. Our goal is to deepen the understanding of fly ash formation, to improve current biomass pre-treatment technologies, as well as to contribute to the field of biomass ash utilisation. Through our strong collaboration with industry and academic partners, we want to pave the way for highly-efficient, low-emitting biomass CHP plants, capable of firing low-grade fuels. This benefits industry, communal partners and public authorities by providing sustainable heat and electricity at significantly decreased emissions.

The aim of the LigniOx project is to demonstrate the techno-economic viability of the unique LigniOx alkali-O2 oxidation technology for the conversion of various lignin-rich side-streams into versatile dispersants. High-performance concrete plasticizers will be the target end product, but potential other end uses, such as dispersants for paints and gypsum, will be evaluated as well. Valorisation of lignins originating from kraft and organosolv pulping as well as from 2nd generation bioethanol processes will be addressed. Both the oxidation technology and the end-product performance will be demonstrated at operation conditions, thus enabling industrial process installations and entry of the novel lignin products into the markets after the project. The valorisation of lignin side-streams will significantly improve the cost-competitiveness and resource efficiency of lignocellulosic biorefineries. It will also create low-cost, sustainable raw materials for the chemical industry. The LigniOx technology can be integrated into lignocellulosic biorefineries, or it can be operated as a stand-alone unit by chemical industry. For scale-up and process demonstrations, a mobile pilot unit will be constructed. The viability of the process concepts will be demonstrated in operational conditions using relevant pilot equipment and process modelling. The performance of LigniOx concrete plasticizers will be demonstrated by field tests, and industrial product prototypes will be produced. Techno-economy as well as environmental and socio-economic impacts will be assessed. Also regulatory issues will be considered to ensure the market entry.