New sustainable specialty chemicals for the Pulp & Paper Industry

Important results from the project

The goal of the project, to develop a new generation of surface active agents for the pulp and paper industry, based on renewable raw materials has been achieved. With this, the project contributes to promoting the introduction of fully bio-based surfactants in an industry that strives to continuously improve its environmental footprint, thereby responding to the growing demand from the pulp and paper industry for sustainable, yet high performing, solutions, making it possible for the industry to remain at the forefront of the global ecological transition.

Expected long term effects

A synthesis method for synthesizing surfactants, entirely from bio-based raw materials which can be used in various applications in the paper and pulp industry, has been developed on a small scale at Chalmers and scaled up at BIM Kemi. These chemicals have shown good performance in laboratory-scale performance tests for relevant applications in the paper and pulp industry. The next step is to continue scaling up to pilot and full scale at BIM Kemi and then test the products at full scale in the paper and pulp industry.

Approach and implementation

The setup, where small-scale syntheses were performed at Chalmers while scale-up and functionality tests were performed at BIM Kemi, has worked very well. The representatives at Chalmers have a deep understanding of surface chemistry and organic chemistry, while the representatives at BIM Kemi have knowledge and experience in the production of chemicals on a larger scale as well as in the applications and end use in the paper and pulp industry. Rottneros, as a representative of the industry, has also been of great help in this regard.