Stora Enso Bio-based Lignin a Renewable Replacement for Oil-based Phenolic Materials

The launch of LineoTM by Stora Enso, Finland, is another important step on the way to replacing fossil-based materials with renewable solutions. Lineo is available to companies seeking more sustainable, bio-based alternatives.

Lignin is one of the main building blocks of a tree and makes up 20% - 30% of the composition of wood. Yet it has traditionally been discarded by the pulp and paper industries. However, Stora Enso has recognized the potential of this versatile raw material, which can be used in a range of applications where fossil-based materials are currently used.

Lignin is a renewable replacement for oil-based phenolic materials which are used in resins for plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), paper lamination, and insulation material.

Markus Mannström, EVP of the Stora Enso Biomaterials division, said that "having increased our lignin focus in recent years, we’re delighted to launch Lineo. Lignin is a non-toxic raw material with traceable origin and stable cost structure, and bio-based Lineo is ideal for companies looking for alternatives to oil-based products. We believe that everything made from fossil-based materials today, can be made from a tree tomorrow."

Stora Enso has been producing lignin at industrial scale since 2015 at its Sunila pulp mill in Finland. The mill’s capacity is 50,000 metric tpy of lignin, making Stora Enso the largest kraft lignin producer in the world. Stora Enso is already selling Lineo to replace phenol, and the company is also looking at many other applications for this very versatile material.

A stable, free-flowing brown powder, Stora Enso’s lignin is separated during the kraft pulping process of Nordic softwood. Lineo has a high dry content, superior dispersibility, and long storage time. With a higher reactivity and purity, Lineo is consistent from batch to batch and Stora Enso can supply different levels of dryness, according to customer demand.

The Stora Enso Biomaterials division offers a variety of pulp grades to meet the demands of paper, board, tissue, textile, and hygiene product producers. The company also develops new ways to maximize the value extractable from wood, as well as other kinds of lignocellulosic biomasses. Sugars and lignin hold potential for use in applications in the specialty chemical, construction, personal care, and food industries. We have a global presence with operations in Brazil, Finland, Sweden, Uruguay, and the U.S.

Part of the bioeconomy, Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions, and paper globally. The company believes that everything made from fossil-based materials today can be made from a tree tomorrow. Stora Enso has some 26 000 employees in 30-plus countries. Its sales in 2017 were EUR 10 billion.