VIOBOND – sustainable binder: Upscaling new lignin-phenol-formaldehyde resin production with wood-based biorefinery lignin

The VIOBOND project will build a first-of-its-kind flagship plant producing industrial-scale lignin phenol-formaldehyde (LPF) resins.

The VIOBOND consortium combines extensive interdisciplinary experience in a full value-chain from fractionating wood-based biorefinery lignin to manufacturing several types of LPF resin for different purposes.

The main commercial end-use is conventional plywood panels where lignin substitutes fossil-origin and hazardous phenol and formaldehyde in resin.

Also, special LPF resins to be used in consumer products such as plywood coating, white furniture plywood, sandpaper adhesive and insulation glass wool binder are validated and produced in the flagship plant.

The main impact of the VIOBOND project is that it creates the first commercially viable resin plant where lignin partially substitutes fossil-based phenol and formaldehyde.

The VIOBOND flagship project demonstrates a business model for valorisation and transformation of lignin in Europe while also demonstrating scale-up and exploitation of the lignin-agnostic lignin-resin technologies for Southern Europe and globally for areas where there are not any wood-based pulp plants or biorefineries, thereby creating demand and supply ecosystem for bio-based lignin and resin.