There is a strong market demand for greener PU with improved sustainability and environmental characteristics. However, several issues are still preventing the more widespread integration of lignin in PU products, like the low solubility, the high molecular weight, the high polydispersity, the sulphur content and the dark colour. The use of depolymerised lignin (so called “lignin oils”) is a promising option to overcome these limitations and improve the lignin content in PU products.
Therefore, the consortium is looking for an industrial partner that is interested in producing metal catalysed depolymerised lignin (oil)-based polyols for PU materials and additional industrial end-users interested in valorising metal catalysed depolymerised lignin (oil)-based polyols into PU materials towards specific PU applications (other than PU insulation materials, PU adhesives and sealants).
The consortium is also looking for universities/knowledge institutes that have expertise, technology or knowledge relevant to the project, particularly for the expertise in the field of fractionation of lignocellulose feedstocks, controlled depolymerisation of extracted lignin and
delivery of (molecularly) well-characterised and tunable lignin oils at sufficient scale and analysis, and chemical modifications of the lignin oils to further tune reactivity for PU synthesis
Read the full Requests for partners on the Catalisti website.
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