Elina Pakkanen: Utilization of lignocellulose-based biochemicals in the preparation of sustainable polymer materials

Known plastic materials are mainly made of fossil-based chemicals received from oil refining. Production of plastics is increasing and due to that, the CO₂ emission is estimated to steadily increase. Another challenge is that major part of the crude oil supplies locates in politically unstable areas, which may result in significant supply chain disruptions. For these reasons, general interest in research and development of biomass-based chemicals and materials which can be potentially produced from agricultural leftovers and industrial side steams is constantly increasing. However, the potential of biomass-derived chemicals is not revealed yet. Polyurethanes, vinyl esters, and epoxies are industrially highly relevant plastic categories as they are utilized in various applications from insulators to foams, coatings, adhesives, fibers, and composites. In this project, both existing and novel lignocellulose-based biochemicals will be utilized in the preparation of new materials with the aim of matching the materials properties of biobased polymers with their currently used fossil-based counterparts. The prepared biobased materials will be characterized in detail and demonstrated in selected applications.