News Room

Milestone for New Lignin Recovery Process

September 2, 2011

The very first fully-washed lignin using recovery technology developed by NORAM has been produced at FPInnovations’ new Bio-economy Technology Centre in Thunder Bay, ON. The pilot plant, designed and built by NORAM, represents a first for North America, and places the recovery of lignin from kraft black liquor on a sound process basis for industrial-scale recovery.

Lignin is generally deemed a low-value fuel by-product of the kraft pulp process, but its polymeric, aromatic structure lends itself to versatile utilization as a chemical feedstock. Commercialisation of the NORAM process will ultimately see lignin diverted to beneficiated products such as resins, carbon fibre and thermoplastics.

The lignin recovery project represents extensive collaboration between NORAM, FPInnovations, the Ministry of Research and Innovation of Ontario, the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-economy (CRIBE), and AbitibiBowater’s Thunder Bay mill.

More News