As a natural glue substance, lignin has a lot of potential for numerous applications. So far, however, the industrial potential of lignin has not been fully exploited. LignoCOST, a large European network coordinated by Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, should change this. The aim: to develop a pan-European network covering the entire value chain, from raw material to profitable and sustainable end products.
"Lignin is a very interesting substance," says Richard Gosselink, researcher at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research and coordinator of LignoCOST. "It is cheap because it occurs in large quantities in nature. For example, lignin, as a glue substance, gives strength to trees, grasses and straw. The substance is released in pulp and paper production, for which it is now mainly used as fuel. This is a shame, because lignin can be of much greater value to industry. For instance, the substance has interesting aromatic and polymer properties. But lignin also has UV-stabilising and antimicrobial properties, for example."
Industrial applications
Scaling up existing applications and developing new ones could lead to additional revenues for companies in various industries, according to Gosselink: "For example, lignin is already successfully used in products such as cement, emulsion asphalt, composites and in adhesives for fibreboards. But there are many more possibilities, such as asphalt, carbon fibres and building materials. The EU network LignoCOST should start laying a solid foundation for this." LignoCOST is supported by the EU COST programme and focuses primarily on creating and sharing knowledge. "That knowledge should give the valorisation of lignin towards industrial applications a big boost."
More than 200 partners
LignoCOST (CA17128) consists of five work programmes, each focusing on its own objectives and results. More than 200 partners from 38 countries have joined the ambitious programme. The LignoCOST network organises a good number of networking events, workshops and training courses. Furthermore, the network supports young scientists who want to do scientific research on lignin. LignoCOST runs until October 2022.
Source: WUR.
