Birch bark as a valuable renewable raw material for producing formaldehyde-free particle boards and suberinic acids polyols for the development of polyurethanes

Project status

Active

Project execution time

01.12.2020 to 30.11.2023

Project type

ERAF-1.1.1.1.

Project number

1.1.1.1/19/A/089

Project manager

Jānis Rižikovs

Involved laboratories

Polymer laboratory Biorefinery laboratory

Call, activity

Measure 1.1.1.1 “Industry-Driven Research” of specific objective 1.1.1 “To increase the research and innovation capacity of scientific institutions of Latvia and their ability to attract external funding by investing in human resources and infrastructure” of operational programme “Growth and Employment”

Cooperation partners

Leading partner - Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry ,

Cooperation partner – Joint Stock Company "PolyLabs".

 

Project goal

to conduct non-economic industrial research, combining the chemical engineering and material science sectors, and to promote the spread of knowledge by developing new, eco-innovative, waste-free technologies so that to produce suberinic acids polyols for the development of polyurethanes and binder formaldehyde-free particle boards from the renewable raw material – birch outer bark.

 

Main activities of the project:

  1. development of particle boards from the lignocellulose fraction;
  2. depolymerization and extraction of suberic acids from birch outer bark;
  3. development of polyol from suberinic acids;
  4. polyol synthesis at a pilot level;
  5. development of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams based on suberinic acids polyols;
  6. LCA analysis (life cycle) for the developed products and processes;
  7. publication of results and technology transfer.

 

Main results of the project:

  • 5 eco-innovative technology prototypes;
  • 10 new product prototypes;
  • 6 scientific publications.

 

Project implementation period: 36 months – from 01.12.2020 to 30.11.2023.

Total financing of the project: total project costs: 645 545.06 EUR (ERAF co-financing – 57.80% or 373 125.04 EUR, state budget co-financing – 34.70% or 224 004.12 EUR).