Aalto University is contributing to the Emissiom Free Pulping program through the work of three professors, Tapani Vuorinen, Tiina Nypelö and Luana Dessbesell and their teams.
Professor Tapani Vuorinen's team is focusing on analytics, examining wood cell wall structure at the nano-scale. The work will focus on understanding the middle lamella structure, which could help explain phenomena where lignin is separated or dissolved. The team has developed methods that allow for chemical imaging with precision that reaches below five nanometers using infrared photo-induced force microscopy (IR PiFM). This novel method will reveal new information on previously unknown phenomena.
"It's really great that we managed to assemble such a large consortium to study the pulping at the fundamental level. It is exceptional to have so many companies investing in the same project.” Tapani Vuorinen, Aalto University
Professor Tiina Nypelös team is looking into defibration with the goal of easier fiber liberation. The work has started with investigations of chemical structures in wood. Doctoral student E Lim is currently isolating components from wood chips. By ball milling and using solvents she is able to extract the target components. The aim is to get carbohydrates bonded with lignin. The following step is to analyze the material with NMR to understand the structures. This offers valuable knowledge for further defibration and fractionation of these components.
“The work is quite challenging, there is a lot to figure out along the way and the literature on the subject is conflicting. Hopefully my research on the reactivity of these materials can be useful in the future to improve pulping processes.” E Lim, Aalto University
Nypelös team focuses on exploring new fractionation methods to increase the pulp yield from around 50% to 70%. The team will work in collaboration with Mid Sweden University with expertise in mechanical fibrillation at high temperatures, close to 200 degree Celsius that yields a fiber that is lignin-rich on the surface. Lignin-rich fibers do not easily bond to each other in standard paper manufacturing, so their applicability is being expanded through chemical modifications.
“Having this large collaboration between all the top researchers in Finland and Sweden, working towards a common goal, is bound to yield some remarkable results” Tiina Nypelö, Aalto University
Professor Luana Dessbesell's team focuses on sustainable bioproduct innovation by translating research to commercialization, considering an interdisciplinary approach that leverages techno-economic, environmental, and circularity indicators. In the EFP, the team will analyze the sustainability of the most promising pulping concept. To measure potential sustainability they will be working on connecting and collecting information from all parties in the projects and more closely with the LUT and Metsä, the work package leaders.
"We are bringing the puzzle pieces together to provide the most important parameters, risks and potential solutions that academia and industry can take into consideration to achieve emissions-free pulping" says Luana Dessbesell of Aalto University.
All the results of the Emission Free Pulping -project will be published openly, allowing for the widespread utilization of findings and the development of new innovations in wood pulp processing.