Technology
Ecohelix patented technology is the first industrial level technology to utilize pulping process derived hemicellulose and lignin as a starting point for a polymer production. The technology gives access to new, sustainable raw material, which utilizes currently underutilized forestry side streams turning the waste stream into valuable products. This promotes efficient utilization of scarce resources, since no single additional tree is needed to cut for the production of sustainable wood-based polymers, which can replace harmful fossil-based polymers used in many products and thus promote more sustainable materials usage.
We integrate our production with a host pulp mill for the raw material supply. Original raw material for the pulp mill comes from certified Nordic forests. Ecohelix takes currently underutilized hemicellulose/lignosellulosic side stream from the pulp mill and runs it through Ecohelix process, providing process enhancement benefits and a new revenue stream for the host mill. The polymer production process is a combination of membrane filtration and enzymatic treatment. This process creates a novel wood-based polymer with controllable and tunable properties. End product, a wood-based bio-polymer is provided to formulators or converters to be utilized in various products, such as paper chemicals, adhesives, coating polymers or as a dispersion agent. Finally, brand owners can replace currently used fossil-based polymers with more sustainable, but still high performing polymer. With this solution, brand owners can meet increasing demand of more sustainable materials, respond to tightening regulation requirements and contribute to emission reduction.
Ecohelix core technology is about transforming the challenging pre-hydrolysate side stream into a high-performance polymer, forming WOODMER® biopolymer. Pre-hydrolysate liquor (or other side streams depending on the pulp process type) is extracted from the pulping process. Hemicellulose and lignin are isolated in the first membrane filtration step and the collected and concentrated stream is further polymerized in the enzymatic reaction. When the polymer has been created the product stream is cleaned up in a second ultrafiltration step and concentrated using evaporation. The concentrated and cleaned polymer is sold to the market as is or further modified or formulated into specific products such as WOODMER® Seal. The integration with the pulp mill is key to enable efficient handling of streams, chemicals and heat. Most of the streams or cleaned process liquor is returned to the pulp mill to be reused in their process.
From a more technical standpoint, the raw material side stream is converted into WOODMER® and finally returned to the host mill, providing benefits to the mill. The main separation of the lignin carbohydrate complexes (LCC) is performed using cross flow membrane filtration. The isolation, purification and upgrading of is done by removing low molecular weight organic compounds as well as salts and chemicals from the side stream. The purified stream is treated using a laccase enzyme, which is a natural enzyme present in wood and in wood decaying fungi, to crosslink the lignin carbohydrate structures into its final biopolymer form. A radical reaction between phenolic moieties, initiated by the laccase enzyme enables the formation of new covalent bonds. This creates larger structures with increased molecular weight and the formation of longer co-polymers (WOODMER®), which are then concentrated and formulated prior to shipment.
The innovative process step of WOODMER® Seal occurs in the product modification process step. This step is key focus at LIFE WOODMER project. The process of manufacturing WOODMER® Seal consists of several inline mixers in which the new ingredients are dosed and dispersed into the biopolymer. The key processing units are inline mixer, advanced gravimetric dosing unit’s ingredient storage tanks. The process equipment required to manufacture the WOODMER ® Seal is not unique or special in any way which is a great benefit and risk reducing factor in the scale-up of the production. The uniqueness of the production lays within the chemistry rather than the process itself.
Final product WOODMER® polymer is a novel, high performing, wood-based alternative to fossil-based polymers such as Polyolefin based polymers that are often treated with Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) for improved performance (such as grease barrier properties). These are widely used but fossil based with negative effects on the environment and global health. As a result of EUs stricter regulations for plastics, especially PFAS, is restricted and in process to be phased out.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
