Leading insulation provider SOPREMA has tested lignin-based polyols in its foams and has achieved promising results.
With the lignin-based platform chemicals (depolymerised lignin oil) received from the LignoValue Pilot Plant, the application developers at SOPREMA were able to synthesize several lignin-based polyols. These were included in tests to produce rigid polyurethane (PU) foams. Two of the tested bio-based polyols produced foams with promising properties at the lab scale, like optimal morphology and a closed cells ratio above 90 %.
One of the key achievements of these new formulations is their ability to incorporate more than 40 % lignin by mass into the polyol, resulting in final PU foams that contain up to 15 % lignin by mass. Moving further, two sets of foams have been successfully manufactured on a kilogram scale (TRL 6). This is a massive step in application development and has required significant amount of sample from the continuous catalytic hydrogenolysis process – which VITO has been able to deliver.
Experts are currently conducting a comprehensive analysis of the mechanical and thermal properties of these PU foams. The results are expected in the coming weeks and will determine whether the new formulations meet the stringent technical specifications.
If validated, the path will be clear for scaling up polyol synthesis and initiating pilot-scale production trials of the PU foams.
Image: soprema