Upscaling of natural plastic alternatives: towards a sustainable industry (BioScale)

Important results from the project

** Denna text är maskinöversatt ** Project Objective: Scale up and validate the dry microcellulose powder production technology in an industrially relevant process with good cost and high resource efficiency. Goal Achievement: The three essential process steps; 1. chemical reaction between cellulose and oxalic acid dihydrate ¨ 2. quenching of the reaction 3. solvent recovery has been evaluated on a pilot scale at RISE in Stockholm, Södertälje and Örnsköldsvik.

Expected long term effects

** Denna text är maskinöversatt ** Results: The most important result is that work on designing a demo plant with a capacity of 1 t/day of cellulose oxalate (on a DS basis) has begun. Ordering of equipment will take place after project completion and is planned for summer 2024 with planned production start late Q4 2024 or early Q1 2025. The financing of the construction work, purchase, installation and start-up of the demo has been secured thanks to this project. Expected effects: Industrial production of high quality cellulose oxalate (CellOx) and processing of forest raw materials.

Approach and implementation

The project has consisted of 6 work packages (WP); WP1. Validation in lab WP2. Scale up from lab scale to pilot scale WP3. Design of production plant (0.1-0.5 t/d) WP4. Purchase extruder to FineCell (0.1-0.5 t/d) WP5. Test of extruder (0.1-0.5 t/d) WP6. Feasibility study of production facility (1000 t/year) Samtliga WP has been conducted but to a different extent than planned. WP1-3 have been carried out to a greater extent than planned, while WP 4-6 have been carried out to a lesser extent than planned. WP2 has been carried out to a large extent at RISE. WP2-3 has had valuable support from AFRY.