Window to Asia

Glycol lignin | A Japanese consortium led by Lignomateria Co. has inaugurated a demonstration plant in Ibaraki Prefecture for the production of glycol lignin. The technology, based on work at Japan’s Forest Research Institute, uses polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dilute sulphuric acid at 140 °C to extract lignin from Japanese conifer trees. PEG preserves wood during processing. The annual production capacity is 100 tonnes and could be scaled up to several thousand tonnes. Prototypes of automobile hoods and biodegradable materials for 3D printers have been produced from glycol lignin. The annual consumption of plastics in Japan is about ten mill...