Long since, the pulp and paper industry has been branded as one of the worst polluters of rivers and atmosphere. However, nowadays these pulp mills could play a leading role in the necessary transition from a fossil-fuel based system to a bio-based economy! By that, they will have a significant impact on the mitigation of climate change and the corresponding after effects. Modern pulp mills already produce and marked besides cellulose bio-products like turpentine, tall oil and methanol. To better use more of the processed wood components, also additional products like lignin, carbohydrates and carboxylic acids can be isolated.

In the FFG funded research project KrAcid we investigate the isolation and purification of carboxylic acids from side-streams of the pulping process. The project comprises the development and integration of a multi-step isolation sequence into existing industrial processes.

This is what makes our project so fascinating, but also so complex. We work in close cooperation with our national and international industrial partners, who provide our team with their real-life process streams as well as their invaluable real-life experience. With that, we want to take a further step towards the transition of the pulp and paper mill to the integrated biorefinery.