New green products from the forest’s raw materials

Raw materials and waste products from the forest are predicted to become very important to tomorrow’s climate-smart manufacturing. Green carbon fibre, bioplastics, synthetic petrol and “tech-talking” packaging are some of the futuristic products to be showcased at International Wood Biorefining Week from 24 to 26 May next year at Stockholmsmässan.

Both cellulose and lignin, “the hard part of the tree” and growth cells, can be combined with new technology to produce both new materials and new conditions. Lignin can be transformed into a “green” carbon fibre that can be used in lightweight products. With the aid of nanotechnology it is also possible to produce durable, lightweight and environmentally compatible cellulose materials.

“Society has big expectations of the forest industry,” explains Mikael Hedlund of the industry magazine Nordisk Papperstidning & Biobusiness. “Using the forest raw material as a base we can create new materials and energy products that help to solve the climate challenge and replace fossil raw materials and fuels. Biobased materials and biofuels offer new business opportunities.”

High-performance materials from the forest can be used in various contexts and we will get to meet the people who are doing major things with them. Included on the list of presentations will be products made of both nanocellulose and carbon fibre.

Green carbon fibre in vehicles
The automotive industry is interested in lignin-based carbon fibres for vehicle bodies, interiors and batteries. Green carbon fibre can save both money and the environment in a number of manufacturing processes.

“Look, it’s talking! – tomorrow’s packaging” is an item on the programme that focuses on industry’s exploitation of increased digitalisation and built-in electronic systems. We will bring together the forest industry and end users and present the very latest in electrically conductive cellulose and sensors in packaging.

The forest industry is also on the verge of producing advanced biofuels. Several production methods are possible, for example using gasification or catalytic processes, and the end products can be used in road traffic, aviation and maritime shipping. The technological advances also apply to solid biofuels, where the aim is to reduce volumes while at the same time increasing the fuels’ energy value.

Forest companies are an important part of the overall energy system will play a leading role in developing a future renewable energy system.

“We regard International Wood Biorefining Week as an important international meeting place for the entire biobased industry for the purposes of knowledge exchanges, discussions, networking and business contacts in everything to do with issues about the bioeconomy’s innovations and innovators,” says Gustav Melin, CEO of the Swedish Bioenergy Association (Svebio).

International Wood Biorefining Week is jointly organised by Svebio, Adforum, Elmia and Nordisk Papperstidning & Business. The event includes International Pulp & Paper Week, Bioeconomy Innovation Forum and World Bioenergy, thereby creating a comprehensive meeting place for the forest products refining industry.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, a leading research and technology company in the Nordic region, and Innventia, a world-leading research institute that works with innovations based on the forest raw material, are both conference partners for the event.

The conference programme will be published shortly at the event’s website, www.iwbweek.com

For more information on International Wood Biorefining Week contact:
Gustav Melin, CEO, Svebio
gustav.melin@svebio.se
+46 844 17 081

Marcus Bergström, CEO, Adforum
marcus.bergstrom@adforumworld.com
+358 44 56 24 524 / +46 8 749 97 31

Mikael Hedlund, Editor-in-Chief, Nordisk Papperstidning & Biobusiness
mikael.hedlund@mentoronline.se
+46 86 704 144

Klas Brandt, Fair Manager, Elmia AB
klas.brandt@elmia.se
+ 46 36 15 21 09

Catarina Oscarsson, Media Relations Manager Stockholmsmässan
catarina.oscarsson@stockholmsmassan.se
+46 8 749 43 66