Today, binders are largely based on components of fossil origin. Stora Enso has created a binder, NeoLigno® by Stora Enso – Bio-based materials | Stora Enso NeoLigno® by Stora Enso, which is made of bio-based materials. Stora Enso together with RISE, IsoTimber, and Moelven, have proven that the bio-based binder works in construction elements on industrial scale, making them 100% fossil-free.
NeoLigno® by Stora Enso is a binder made from lignin, which is an organic polymer present in all land-living plants, such as trees. Lignin is the natural binder in wood, it keeps the fibers together and protects the material from rotting. NeoLigno® is bio-based and free from formaldehyde and isocyanate.
For two and a half years, Stora Enso, RISE, IsoTimber, and Moelven have worked together in a project with the aim to produce fossil-free construction boards and elements. The cooperation is based on the partners’ common desire to reduce carbon footprint in the construction industry. Together, the partners have been able to scale up the production of fossil-free construction plywood from lab scale to pilot scale and fossil-free construction elements from pilot scale to industrial scale.
“When IsoTimber contacted us and asked for options to make construction panels fossil-free, we started to look around. We quickly discovered that Stora Enso was actively working on a new product called NeoLigno® that could be tested right away. What we needed then was a manufacturer who also saw the value in developing their products, and that’s when we contacted Moelven. Together, we have the entire chain, from glue manufacturers to users of construction boards, all with a strong positive attitude towards wanting to reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint,” says Magdalena Sterley, Expert in gluing of wood at RISE.
more at: https://www.storaenso.com/en/newsroom/news/2023/6/fossil-free-construction-board-and-elements