Pulp fibre has traditionally been used mainly for printing and writing papers, packaging boards, and tissue papers. However, several new applications have also been found for pulp. Pulp can replace plastic, it can be worn and eaten, and it can be developed into several completely new innovations.
Numerous new applications have also been found for pulp production side streams. One example is lignin, which has typically been burned for energy, but which can be used in the future to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of concrete, for example.
Genuinely greener alternatives to fossil- and plastic-based raw materials are now being sought. Demand and potential are seen especially in the construction industry, as housing and the built environment produce the lion’s share of global carbon emissions.
Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, is currently building a new demo plant for lignin processing in connection with the Äänekoski bioproduct mill.
The products of the lignin demo plant, to be completed at the end of this year, can be used as bio-based plasticisers in concrete and gypsum applications, for example. Most current plasticisers are fossil-based compounds, which increases the carbon and environmental load of the end products.
Applications more suitable than bioenergy have long been sought for lignin, a side stream of pulp production. The new demo plant signals a major step forward in this development.
In addition to lignin, Metsä Fibre’s development portfolio includes several other product innovations based on fibre materials, which have been developed in cooperation with research partners and potential customers.
“Customers have ideas and a strong desire to find solutions to replace plastic. In turn, we have in-depth knowledge of wood fibre materials,” says Director Minna Hakalahti from Metsä Fibre.
“At their best, these cooperation relationships combine the customer’s market and product competence with our expertise in materials, leading to completely new future solutions. The fruits of cooperation projects have also been presented on international forums, and the reception has been really enthusiastic.”
For example, the design bar and programme stage of the Stockholm Furniture Fair last autumn were built from a pulp-based lightweight fibre material developed by Metsä Fibre. The same product was seen this spring at the Milan Design Week and the Paris Packaging Week. During the spring, it was also presented at biomaterials conferences in the Hague.
“At all these events, we presented our new pulp-based lightweight fibre product, but at each event, the product appeared in a different form and in different end uses. Although I have a solid background in biomaterials research and development, the versatility and endless possibilities of northern wood fibre never cease to amaze me,” says Hakalahti.
Text: Timo Sormunen