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Sonichem has received a United Kingdom-backed grant to develop and commercialize carbon-neutral resins as an alternative to plastics and foams used in automotive applications.
The grant will cover 70% of the costs for the company’s carbon-neutral agroforestry-derived resins (CARMA) project, which will work to establish a lignin supply chain within the U.K. Sonichem’s process uses ultrasound to break down woody biomass, or byproducts of forestry operations, to create a low molecular weight lignin that may be used in vehicles, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and more.
Lignin is the second-most abundant natural biopolymer in the world and may act as an alternative for petrochemical-based materials. Sonichem explains that current refining technologies for the material use energy-intensive processes, and most biopolymer manufacturers produce low-grade lignin that isn’t suitable for industrial applications.
The CARMA project will be jointly undertaken by the Centre for Process Innovation, Scott Bader, the National Composites Centre, Polestar, and SHD Composites.
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