BIOBASED CHEMICALS

Together with its customers and partners , the group seeks to develop products along the value chain that create added value for consumers . It strives for efficient use and processing of all raw materials and offers solutions for the transformation of the textile industry towards a circular economy and achieving a net zero future in line with goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the European Commission ’ s Green Deal . Figure 1 shows how renewable raw material wood is used for the production of dissolving pulp , making biobased biorefinery products and supplying energy at Lenzing ’ s biorefineries in Lenzing , Austria , Paskov , Czech Republic , and Indianópolis , Brazil . In terms of energy production , they are almost selfsufficient . This is a prime example of the ambition to achieve 100 % utilisation of wood without generating waste .

The group sells all of its biorefinery products under its eponymous trade name LENZING *. These are Acetic Acid Biobased , Furfural Biobased , Magnesium-Lignosulphonate Biobased , Mother Liquor Hemilye , Soda Ash and Xylose ( which is purified and marketed by a partner company ), to other industries .

New in range

This year Lenzing celebrates the 40th anniversary of Acetic Acid Biobased . This has been one of the most important products in the Biorefinery Product segment since 1983 and enjoys great popularity and trust among customers in a wide range of segments .

Lenzing produces Acetic Acid Biobased from beech wood . It is purified in several steps and processed into high-quality , food-grade acetic acid with a characteristic fruity odour . The product is free of solids and of high purity , making it suitable for human consumption .

Acetic Acid Biobased is used in a wide range of applications , including the pharmaceutical and feed industries , and serves as a base chemical in various fields . It can be supplied in a range of concentrations , typically between 60 % and 100 %. It has a carbon footprint over 85 % lower than that of fossilbased acetic acid .

To celebrate this occasion , Lenzing is launching its first carbon-neutral grade of Acetic Acid Biobased to meet the growing sustainability demands of industries that currently rely on materials of fossil origin . Just like conventional Acetic Acid Biobased , carbon-neutral Acetic Acid Biobased is made from sustainably sourced beech wood , which serves as a universal substitute for fossil-based raw materials like crude oil . By calculating , reducing and offsetting emissions during production processes , this expansion will create

a more sustainable supply chain with highly functional products for various industries .

In addition to biorefinery products , Lenzing is also offering co-products , such as Lenzing Sodium Sulphate and Calcium Sulphate . In contrast to biorefinery products , which are resulting from pulp production , Sodium Sulphate is a by-product from the production of viscose and modal fibres and is available throughout the year in consistent quality and stable quantities .

Lenzing Sodium Sulphate is used in various industrial applications , including as a key ingredient in powder detergents , in glass manufacturing as a multi-purpose additive , in the pulp and paper industry as a process chemical used in the sulphate pulping process , as a dye fixative in the textile industry and as a feedstock for various industrial chemicals .

Wood , the perfect all-rounder

Wood is a perfect all-rounder and far too valuable to only use it for extracting pulp to produce fibres . Lenzing respects the assets of every tree : use all , spoil none . We make the best use of this natural resource and turn it into as many valuable products as possible . This concept is called the biorefinery and helps us in advancing circularity . ●

* - LENZING is a registered trademark of the Lenzing Group

SEP / OCT 2023 SPECCHEMONLINE . COM

69