Project description
Turning low-value materials into high-performance products
Wood that has been painted or glued is considered low-value and contaminated because of its chemical treatment. But it can still have a future, thanks to the EU-funded WoodVALOR project. Specifically, the project aims to convert this wood into sustainable feedstock. Through advanced decontamination and fractionation, the project converts wood cellulose into acrylic acid and hemicellulose into bio-based binders for coatings. Even lignin is repurposed into phenolic compounds, while process residues become biochar for soil bioremediation. To achieve this transformation, it will use advanced decontamination and fractionation methods alongside traditional pulping processes. Overall, the project’s goal is to ensure that chemical-treated wood is no longer a burden but a valuable resource.
Objective
WoodVALOR adopts a circular approach by using contaminated wood as a sustainable feedstock to produce paints, coatings, and biochar, showcasing innovative waste valorization. The process converts low-value material into high-performance products while contributing to environmental restoration. The project compares advanced decontamination and fractionation methods with traditional pulping processes.
Acrylic acid is produced from the wood's cellulose fraction through the lactic acid route, while fatty acids are obtained via yeast fermentation, ensuring resource efficiency and aligning with circular economy principles. The hemicellulose fraction is transformed into bio-based binders for coatings, reducing reliance on petroleum-derived alternatives. These binders are made more hydrophobic and durable by grafting acrylic acid and fatty acids onto the hemicellulose, enhancing water resistance and longevity. Lignin, often considered a byproduct, is repurposed to produce phenolics, which are grafted onto hemicellulose to further improve the coatings' properties. These coatings are then applied to wood surfaces, creating a closed-loop system where contaminated wood becomes protective material for other wood products.
Biochar, produced from process residues, serves two functions. It is used for bioremediation of contaminated soils and in mineral recovery from contaminated wood. The recovered minerals can be reintegrated into coatings, closing another resource loop.
By converting contaminated wood into materials that protect wood surfaces and treat soils, WoodVALOR highlights circularity. This approach minimizes waste, promotes resource recovery, and supports environmental health and material efficiency, contributing to a more sustainable EU industry and addressing the major challenges associated with contaminated wood waste.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering ecosystem-based management ecological restoration
- engineering and technology environmental biotechnology bioremediation
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries forestry
- engineering and technology industrial biotechnology bioprocessing technologies fermentation
You need to log in or register to use this function
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.2.6 - Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme -
HORIZON.2.6.6 - Bio-based Innovation Systems in the EU Bioeconomy
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-CBE-2024
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
RH19 1GZ EAST GRINSTEAD
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.