UPM Biofore Magazine 1-2019

two UPMPlywood mills and is being rolled out to other mills gradually. WISA BioBond has also been granted certification for an extremely challenging end-use application, where plywood is used in the isolation components on LNG ships for natural-gas transportation by sea. Product development is still

UPMhas the means to actualise it. This feeling has grown stronger in recent years amid the rising debate on the use of fossil rawmaterials and climate. Being a part of the change gives us a lot of drive to continue research,” Pietarinen says. UPMBiochemicals is confident that the use of lignin will in the long

Sparring for top quality Close collaboration with plywood quality leaders UPMPlywood has spurred product development and set extremely demanding quality requirements for lignin solutions. Known for first-class quality and products used in heavy industry and construction, UPMPlywood cannot compromise on the sustainability and functionality of their products. The first trials were conducted in 2013. “The collaboration worked well, and we mastered the entire value chain right from the beginning of research and development. This also meant that we could patent our solutions at an early stage. We have also expanded the scope of our patent protection, and have defended these patents successfully throughout the years,” Suvi Pietarinen says. “We set very strict criteria for success from the start. The quality of the end products must be at least equally good as before in every way. We are eager to reinvent ourselves, because this is no small matter,” describes Mika Kekki , Vice President of Production & Operations at UPMPlywood. The commercial launch was preceded by extensive testing and mill scale trials. “Large-scale mill trials are necessary when you’re bringing new solutions to the market, but naturally they affect normal production schedules. This is challenging, especially in a situation where there is a lot of demand. It highlights how committed both companies have been to the development work from the start,” says Susanna Rinne , Vice President of Business Development at UPMPlywood. WISA BioBond is currently used at

“IN TEN YEARS, lignin-based phenolic resins will be the new normal on a global level. The phenolic resin industry alone can absorb close to one million tonnes of lignin,” describes Christian Hübsch.

ongoing, because various bonding technologies are used in plywood. The adhesive is also customised based on whether the wood is birch or spruce. “Careful and comprehensive change management is essential for such large-scale development work, so that customers can confidently utilise and market the environmental value of WISA BioBond in their products,” Rinne summarises. Game-changing moment “The development work has not always been straightforward. Nonetheless, we have always felt that lignin has great potential and

run become mainstream in a range of industries and applications. “Lignin offers great opportunities. This is an ever-widening road. Every success makes it possible to take the next step forward. Commercial successes and openings in new markets also drive research and product development,” he adds. Lignin's application in phenolic resins is just one manifestation of the business potential of UPM’s lignin solutions. “We feel that we contribute significantly to UPM’s ambition to transform entire industries into a future ‘Beyond Fossils’.” 

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