The New Fiber Products project (2017–2019) addressed the ongoing megatrend that created the market opportunity: as the world’s most populous countries continued to prosper, the use of renewable materials increased. The markets and the opportunities were huge, but the materials and solutions had to be competitive against existing solutions and materials, both in terms of quality and costs. In addition, the materials needed to fulfill all criteria for sustainability and resource efficiency. This required progress and breakthrough innovations in several research and development topics.

Objectives

New FP project aims to increase renewable materials usage by focusing on new cellulose modification methods: new enzymes and high consistency processes, on enabling foam technologies as well as on new product solutions in the area of antimicrobial products. The further development of the fiber and cellulose competence is one general target of the project. This enables many and diverse benefits not only in the project but also in other fiber product applications.

Structure

New FP project consists of four work packages (WPs):

WP 1 focuses on enzyme-aided oxidative fiber modification concepts to be exploited, in short and long term in up-grading of fiber-based materials.

WP 2 aims to generate new knowledge on antimicrobial activity of cellulose fibers modified with metal and metal oxide nanostructures created by LFS nanoparticle deposition or by chemical treatment and thereby prevent microbial growth on such fiber based products.

WP 3 focuses on testing and development of research and pilot infrastructure for processing of cellulose at high solid contents.

WP 4 aims to improved understanding of the interfacial phenomenon in complex fiber-polymer foams.

Participants

Aalto University, CLIC Innovation Ltd., Kemira Oyj., Metsä Board Oyj, Metsä Fibre Oy, Novozymes A/S, Paptic Ltd., Stora Enso Oyj, Sulzer Ltd., Tampere University of Technology, University of Turku, UPM-Kymmene Oyj, Valmet Oyj, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Åbo Akademi University

Contact:

Aila Maijanen
aila.maijanen@clicinnovation.fi

Related projects

Cellulose from Finland
Acel – ADVANCED CELLULOSE TO NOVEL PRODUCTS