Periodic Reporting for period 1 - LIGNICOAT (Sustainable COATings based on LIGNIn resins and bio-additives with improved fire, corrosion and biological resistance)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2021-06-01 do 2022-11-30
Coatings are largely applied in almost all industrial fields and there is a need to look for more sustainable systems. As a beginning, the coatings industry was driven for a long time by regulatory issues to diminish the content of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). Nowadays, in the case of products labelled as “environmentally friendly” their bio-based content is usually small. The challenge is to substitute fossil-based resins and components, while ensuring that the performance is at least identical.
Bio-based coatings represent nowadays a market niche. A factor driving the growth of the biobased coatings market is the increasing customer demand for sustainability. The approach to biobased coatings is concerned by the availability and carbon footprint of resources and must comply with a control of toxic/harmful components. Moreover. the development of economically competitive biobased products and processes represents a huge scientific and engineering challenge, and the gap of raw materials costs must be shortened.
It is worth mentioning that most of the biobased options are derived from oils, coming from vegetable seeds produced in a great extent outside European borders. New bio-based value chains are necessary, especially close to the production and consumption places to open new routes for the development of biocoatings. At this point, the development of chemicals and materials coming from lignocellulosic biomass is a particularly important area in terms of research, thanks to the abundance of these type of resources and additionally because they do not compete with the food chain. Specifically, lignin is the second most abundant organic polymers on Earth by mass, exceeded only by cellulose, with which it is combined in plant biomass (around 15-30% of lignin). Lignin is an underutilized product with a high potential to provide not only economic returns, but also environmental benefits if value-added applications are found. Although lignin is a topic of great interest, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into real products is not trivial and still no commercial options are available.
LIGNICOAT works in the demonstration of the technical and economic feasibility of the use of lignin as raw material to produce of bioresins for different applications in the field of functional coatings, providing new synthetic routes to obtain bioresins, such as polyurethanes, alkyds and epoxies based on lignin intermediates for application in coatings and validated in an industrial relevant environment. The target is not only to increase the biobased content and ensure performance, but also take advantage of lignin specific characteristics to develop bio additives, increasing the biocontent and providing anticorrosive, fireproof and antimicrobial features in high-volume market case studies.
Bio-based coatings represent nowadays a market niche. A factor driving the growth of the biobased coatings market is the increasing customer demand for sustainability. The approach to biobased coatings is concerned by the availability and carbon footprint of resources and must comply with a control of toxic/harmful components. Moreover. the development of economically competitive biobased products and processes represents a huge scientific and engineering challenge, and the gap of raw materials costs must be shortened.
It is worth mentioning that most of the biobased options are derived from oils, coming from vegetable seeds produced in a great extent outside European borders. New bio-based value chains are necessary, especially close to the production and consumption places to open new routes for the development of biocoatings. At this point, the development of chemicals and materials coming from lignocellulosic biomass is a particularly important area in terms of research, thanks to the abundance of these type of resources and additionally because they do not compete with the food chain. Specifically, lignin is the second most abundant organic polymers on Earth by mass, exceeded only by cellulose, with which it is combined in plant biomass (around 15-30% of lignin). Lignin is an underutilized product with a high potential to provide not only economic returns, but also environmental benefits if value-added applications are found. Although lignin is a topic of great interest, the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into real products is not trivial and still no commercial options are available.
LIGNICOAT works in the demonstration of the technical and economic feasibility of the use of lignin as raw material to produce of bioresins for different applications in the field of functional coatings, providing new synthetic routes to obtain bioresins, such as polyurethanes, alkyds and epoxies based on lignin intermediates for application in coatings and validated in an industrial relevant environment. The target is not only to increase the biobased content and ensure performance, but also take advantage of lignin specific characteristics to develop bio additives, increasing the biocontent and providing anticorrosive, fireproof and antimicrobial features in high-volume market case studies.
A main part of the work performed has been linked to the development of lignin based intermediates useful in ulterior coating formulations. The work has been focused on the characterization of several industrial lignins, optimizing and up-scaling lignin intermediates to meet the requirements of targeted resins.
The production of Epoxy resins has been addressed by depolymerization to obtain small molecular lignin fractions with increased solubility, reactivity and compatibility, that meet the required technical specifications for its implementation in the formulation of epoxy resins. Epoxidation processes have been developed at lab-scale.
In the case of the synthesis of lignin polyols (LPOs), different pretreatments and reaction conditions were tried in search of a polyol with the desired characteristics for different end user companies (different applications). Continuous feedback between the coatings manufacturers and RTD developers was stablished, changing the reactions accordingly. A complete chemical characterization has been performed in the intermediates. Multiple runs of same LPOs syntheses at increased amount have demonstrated good replicability and no adverse effects due to upscaling (in particular, longer reaction time and undesired exothermal effects).
Different strategies have been followed for making carbonates from the lignin polyols in order to obtain NIPUs. New experiments are needed in batches at pilot scale.
Work has been done to obtain oligomeric lignin-derived polyacids for polyester/alkyd resin coatings followed by filtration post-treatments. Process conditions and purifications shall be optimized and scaled-up for the lignin raw materials and depolymerized oligomers to meet the requirements of the polyester/alkyd resins for coatings.
From these lignin-based intermediates, work has been done to obtain PUDs (Polyurethane Dispersions), Alkyds and epoxy resins. The Target being to use as much lignin as possible in the formulation without compromising the specific thermo-mechanical properties for its proper applications in coatings.
In the case of bioadditives different intermediates have been the base for functionalization routes to look for functional additives (such as fire retardants). Also, work has been focused on the evaluation of antimicrobial properties of natural compounds, developing bioencapsulation procedures for active compounds with antimicrobial activity and assessment of the potential use of enzymes as bioadditives for self-decontaminating coating formulations.
Sustainability and environmental impact of the solutions has been monitored and the possible exploitation options defined. The diffusion of the project has been made by multiple ways. Management has covered the good advance of technical tasks and administrative requirements.
The production of Epoxy resins has been addressed by depolymerization to obtain small molecular lignin fractions with increased solubility, reactivity and compatibility, that meet the required technical specifications for its implementation in the formulation of epoxy resins. Epoxidation processes have been developed at lab-scale.
In the case of the synthesis of lignin polyols (LPOs), different pretreatments and reaction conditions were tried in search of a polyol with the desired characteristics for different end user companies (different applications). Continuous feedback between the coatings manufacturers and RTD developers was stablished, changing the reactions accordingly. A complete chemical characterization has been performed in the intermediates. Multiple runs of same LPOs syntheses at increased amount have demonstrated good replicability and no adverse effects due to upscaling (in particular, longer reaction time and undesired exothermal effects).
Different strategies have been followed for making carbonates from the lignin polyols in order to obtain NIPUs. New experiments are needed in batches at pilot scale.
Work has been done to obtain oligomeric lignin-derived polyacids for polyester/alkyd resin coatings followed by filtration post-treatments. Process conditions and purifications shall be optimized and scaled-up for the lignin raw materials and depolymerized oligomers to meet the requirements of the polyester/alkyd resins for coatings.
From these lignin-based intermediates, work has been done to obtain PUDs (Polyurethane Dispersions), Alkyds and epoxy resins. The Target being to use as much lignin as possible in the formulation without compromising the specific thermo-mechanical properties for its proper applications in coatings.
In the case of bioadditives different intermediates have been the base for functionalization routes to look for functional additives (such as fire retardants). Also, work has been focused on the evaluation of antimicrobial properties of natural compounds, developing bioencapsulation procedures for active compounds with antimicrobial activity and assessment of the potential use of enzymes as bioadditives for self-decontaminating coating formulations.
Sustainability and environmental impact of the solutions has been monitored and the possible exploitation options defined. The diffusion of the project has been made by multiple ways. Management has covered the good advance of technical tasks and administrative requirements.
During this period (M1-18) lignin based intermediates have been optimized and upscaled for their application in resins. Good results have been obtained in the use of lignin polyols in PUD resins, lignin polyacids in alkyd resins and glycidilated lignin in epoxy resins. The first trials in the synthesis of the resins and the formulation of coatings based on them has showed a promising result. Bioadditives based on hop extracts, enzymes and phosphorylated lignin have been developed and good results have been obtained for the preliminary screening in antiviral applications.
A total of 18 key exploitable results have been identified and analysed. 6 prototypes and 7 testing activities technologies has been identified, with 7 industrial partners applying innovation into their organization, while 4 of them being SMEs.
LIGNICOAT will contribute to the bio-economy by producing bio-based products and key intermediates, as an alternative for fossil-based solutions for coatings application, with smaller environmental impact and in alignment with the transition to a low carbon and green economy. LIGNICOAT aims at increasing the sustainability of coatings by the use of renewable and non-toxics products (such as Lignin).
LIGNICOAT solutions will present significant GHG emissions reduction by replacing petrochemical components with renewable chemical substitutes (from lignin source), showing less impacts and CO2 emissions, therefore contributing to EU´s 2050 long-term strategy for a climate-neutral Europe.
A total of 18 key exploitable results have been identified and analysed. 6 prototypes and 7 testing activities technologies has been identified, with 7 industrial partners applying innovation into their organization, while 4 of them being SMEs.
LIGNICOAT will contribute to the bio-economy by producing bio-based products and key intermediates, as an alternative for fossil-based solutions for coatings application, with smaller environmental impact and in alignment with the transition to a low carbon and green economy. LIGNICOAT aims at increasing the sustainability of coatings by the use of renewable and non-toxics products (such as Lignin).
LIGNICOAT solutions will present significant GHG emissions reduction by replacing petrochemical components with renewable chemical substitutes (from lignin source), showing less impacts and CO2 emissions, therefore contributing to EU´s 2050 long-term strategy for a climate-neutral Europe.