A staff of researchers in Scotland is supporting a clear tech startup to rework low-value co-products from the forestry sector into eco-friendly alternate options to chemical substances present in on a regular basis gadgets.
Sonichem says its ambition is to cut back the reliance on petrochemical-derived elements in industries comparable to cosmetics, packaging and prescription drugs. Utilizing its patented ultrasound know-how to interrupt down forestry co-products – together with woodchips and sawdust – the corporate extracts pure compounds that may be remodeled into inexperienced alternate options to important chemical substances.
A latest feasibility research funded by the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), with help from the College of Glasgow, has helped the enterprise to take its know-how to the subsequent stage. Sonichem is working in direction of the opening of its first industrial plant in 2027, which is anticipated to be primarily based in Scotland and can course of as much as 15,000 tonnes of forestry materials yearly.
The UK generates roughly 4.5 million tonnes of wooden residues yearly. Solely 55% of logs that enter a sawmill grow to be usable building timber, whereas the rest finally ends up as co-products comparable to woodchips and sawdust.
The goal natural substance being collected by way of Sonichem’s course of is lignin – a polymer that acts like a pure glue, binding the cells and fibres in bushes and different kinds of crops collectively. This property makes it well-suited to be used in merchandise comparable to resins, movies, coatings and foams.
Whereas naturally occurring lignin from sawdust shouldn’t be instantly transferrable to a majority of these merchandise, the researchers used a sequence of chemical reactions to create compounds that higher matched the artificial counterparts and may very well be utilized in manufacturing.
Andy West, chief chemist at Sonichem, stated: “Compounds derived from petrochemicals are the constructing blocks for therefore lots of the merchandise we use daily, however to realize web zero that should change. Bushes are an excellent pure useful resource that would grow to be a part of the provision chain and lignin, specifically, is extremely versatile and can be utilized in virtually any setting. However, it’s the pure glue that holds a tree collectively, which makes it troublesome to extract. Previously, we explored varied strategies earlier than creating the ultrasound know-how to take action successfully.
“The subsequent step within the course of is about participating with each the producers already utilizing resin, in addition to the forestry sector, to make sure that the fitting quantity and sort of bushes are planted now to safe the provision of the product for years to come back. This venture has been an necessary stage within the industrial growth of our providing and the creation of our first biorefinery plant.”
Professor Dave Adams from the college of chemistry on the College of Glasgow, stated: “Working with Sonichem, we now have been capable of modify the bottom lignin extracted from sawdust to show it into a spread of extra helpful chemical substances. Of the 5 routes we tried, all 5 labored effectively, which is extremely promising and provides the enterprise the data wanted to scale up this preliminary work to a industrial degree.”
Dr Liz Fletcher, director of enterprise engagement at IBioIC, added: “Scotland’s forestry sector is price over £1 billion to the financial system, however there may be potential to see this develop through the use of the biomass that sawmills generate in manufacturing. Sonichem is a superb instance of a enterprise alternate options to petrochemicals from a feedstock in any other case used for low worth purposes. As much as 270 million tonnes of artificial resin have been used globally final 12 months, highlighting the sheer scale of the chance to enhance the sustainability of the chemical substances sector.”
