The VIOBOND project has made significant progress from its inception to the end of the second reporting period. The primary objective is to scale the production of lignin-phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resin using biorefinery lignin. Key achievements include the successful characterization and optimization of lignin supply from biorefinery operations, the development of a novel LPF resin plant concept, and the commencement of construction and commissioning of the plant. Despite challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical situation, significant preparatory tasks have been completed, including the relocation of the pipe bridge and the construction of the cooling tower.
The conclusions obtained during RP1 were successfully applied in the development of a large-scale resin factory concept, which will serve as the basis for starting work on the Flagship resin plant technical details. Pörner has completed the basic engineering of the flagship plant. The detailed plant design as well as the layout are currently in progress. In parallel, the suitability of lignin for flagship purposes was evaluated at three levels. LSIWC has modeled the potential behavior of lignins in the resin production. Based on the analysis, the most relevant analyses were selected and methods to measure these properties were developed. Next, Latvijas Finieris made resins mixtures with different compositions to find out which lignins and lignin procedures are suitable for resins. This way, the model forecasting lignin’s behavior in the resins could be validated. The achieved results show that the average degree of substitution of fossil-based phenol and formaldehyde with lignin is at least 50-70%.
Mirka tested lignin as an additive in a standard phenolic resin formulation for abrasives. The results showed that using lignin as a filler is not a feasible option for Mirka. However, the VIOBOND resins worked relatively well for coating abrasive material. Saint-Gobain has done preliminary analysis of the properties required for LPF resins in the mineral wool manufacturing process. UVIC started to perform a Sustainability Assessment and an LCA study on the whole VIOBOND value chain to demonstrate the sustainability and circularity of VIOBOND products compared with their fossil-based counterparts. They aim to optimize and propose mitigation and improvement measures using an iterative eco-design approach.
The VIOBOND project has actively promoted its activities and results through various channels, including social media, conferences, and publications. The project has also engaged with stakeholders through events and meetings, ensuring the dissemination of project results to a wide audience.
