News
03-10-2022
PRIMA-2 Project: Pyrolysis-based Recycling Initiative for MDF Waste
Biorizon co-initiator TNO embarked on a project focused on the valorisation of waste wood from the furniture industry, MDF in particular. In the project, led by the Dutch interbranche organisation for the furniture industry CBM, partners over the entire value chain for furniture plate material are involved to develop new (chemical) recycling options as an alternative to combustion in waste incinerators.
The project is aimed at maximum recovery of high-value circular materials. Project partner Renewi selectively collects the different waste wood streams from the furniture industry, including wood dust and (MDF) plate material. The plate material then undergoes a pre-separation treatment by a grinding and detection technology developed by the company Boere. The clean core and/or underlayer is sent back to Renewi to be shredded and applied directly in the chipboard industry. The mineral-rich top and bottom sides are pyrolyzed together with the wood dust by technology start-up Alucha. The TNO technology of vapour fractionation by staged condensation is applied to obtain different valuable fractions from the pyrolysis vapour. This includes melamine to be applied by BASF as well as methyl methacrylate and phenols (for the production of formaldehyde resins) to be applied in formaldehyde resins by Unilin. Furthermore, Alucha will investigate the potential of the retrieval of a TiO2-rich mineral fraction to be applied as circular pigment by Baril Coatings.
In the project, TNO will first conduct exploratory trials at lab-scale and in their pyrolysis-staged condensation process development unit at the Green Chemistry Campus in Bergen op Zoom. Then, the fractionation by staged condensation concept will also be applied at the Alucha pyrolysis pilot in Cuijk. The samples produced by both TNO’s and Alucha’s processes will be utilized in application development work by Baril Coatings, BASF and Unilin. Moreover, TNO will conduct a Life Cycle Assessment in order to evaluate these novel circular value chains and the respective CO2 emission savings.
More information
If you want to know more about this project, or the potential of bio-aromatics in your application, please contact Biorizon’s Thermochemical Horizon Manager Jaap Kiel at jaap.kiel@tno.nl or +31 (0) 6 26 43 49 26.
Acknowledgements
This project is co-funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate through the Netherlands Enterprise Agency RVO with reference number DEI221016.
See also:
Thermochemical Horizon
In Horizon I, Biorizon co-initiator TNO coordinates the development of thermochemical processes that enable sustainable bio-aromatics production as an integral part of biorefinery processing. The focus lies on cost-effective approaches to produce bio-aromatics as a co-product next to other chemicals, transport fuels, power and heat, or produce them from biorefinery residues like lignin. Chemical recycling of plastics into aromatic building blocks for the chemical industry is considered too within the framework of a transition to a circular bio-economy.
Process
Horizon I addresses two main technological development lines. The first comprises gasification combined with ethylene aromatization and selective extraction of BTX – benzene, toluene and xylene – for application as a chemical building block to produce e.g. polymers and coatings. The second line focuses on pyrolysis closely coupled with product fractionation through staged condensation or with catalytic upgrading. Here lignin and lignin-rich biomass are feedstocks of main interest, and the resulting aromatic mixtures can be applied as functional sustainable building blocks in a wide range of applications that include bitumen, resins and coatings.
Current focus
Gasification combined with ethylene aromatization and selective extraction of BTX has been validated successfully on a scale of 5 kg/h biomass input, and the prospects of the high-quality BTX as a green feedstock for the chemical industry have been assessed. Demonstration of the technology will be the next step. In the pyrolysis line, a 5 kg/h pilot consisting of a pyrolizer (PYRENA) + product fractionation is being installed at the Green Chemistry Campus for lignin depolymerization. This pilot unit allows further process optimization as well as the production of sizable product quantities, to be implemented in application development trials together with industry. In parallel, the start-up BioBTX is focusing on the combination of pyrolysis and catalytic upgrading.
More information
If you share our ambition and want to collaborate with our Shared Research Center, please join our community, visit the Biorizon headquarters at the Green Chemistry Campus in Bergen op Zoom (NL) or reach out to our business development managers.
Projects
Thanks to Biorizon’s high-quality facilities, specialized knowledge, years of experience and the successful involvement of the entire bio-aromatics value chain, we manage to produce bio-aromatics continuously (on a kg/h scale). We are currently validating our continuous processes and working with industry partners toward the next stage: demonstration. This makes Shared Research Center Biorizon the most advanced and valued research program in sustainable bio-aromatics worldwide. We offer the chemical industry an excellent platform to make the transition to a circular bio-economy.
Do you want to contribute to our mission to enable commercial production of bio-aromatics by 2025? Come and join us! Take a look at the Biorizon projects for inspiration, and reach out to our business development managers for more information.
Community
Biorizon aims to be the reliable source for information on functionalized biobased aromatics and to provide excellent networking opportunities.
For partners and companies that want to consider joining our Shared Research Center we've created a community where you can find relevant information concerning functionalized biobased aromatics.
For whom?
Global leaders as well as SME's in the fields of feedstock, conversion, equipment, intermediate and end products are invited to join Biorizon's Community.
Benefits
By joining the Biorizon Community you get exclusive access to current knowledge and developments in the field of functionalized biobased aromatics.
- Exclusive access to our online Biorizon Community Library with current market analyses & event reports.
- Exclusive access to Member Only Events, specifically dedicated to functionalized biobased aromatics.
- Exclusive subscription to the Biorizon Community newsletter.
- Exclusive access to our Biorizon Community members only LinkedIn group.
- The (optional) opportunity to include your company logo in the Biorizon Community Member Section.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact us.
Biorizon values your privacy; please read our privacy statement.
>>> JOIN THE BIORIZON COMMUNITY <<<
Biorizon is powered by
This project is made possible by a contribution from the European
Regional Development Fund (ERDF) within the framework of OP-Zuid.
