Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems

Biorefineries

Biorefineries research group lead by Prof. Herbert Sixta focuses on the fractionation of lignocellulosic raw materials into its polymeric and non-polymeric constituents and developing new routes for their chemical and biochemical conversion into high-value added products.

Research themes

Biomass fractionation: chemical pulping refineries and novel fractionation processes

We investigate radically new energy and resource efficient production technologiesfor chemical pulping, e.g. Kraft-Oxygen Delignification (KrOxy) process and new dissolving pulp technologies. In addition, our research group develops novel biomass fractionation processes based on the utilization of supercritical water and green solvents, e.g. gamma-valerolactone (GVL).

Biomass valorisation

Cellulose: We study conversion of cellulose e.g. into man-made cellulose fibers and all-cellulose composites.

Hemicelluloses: Our research topics include the valorisation of xylan from alkaline extractions, production of xylo-oligosaccharides and catalytic conversion of biomass-derived sugars into furans.

Lignin: Lignin is an interesting biomass component which can be converted into valuable products such as bio-oil. Lignin-cellulose blends can be used e.g. as precursor fibers for carbon fibers, or as natural dye in textiles.

Aalto University / Valorisation of hemicelluloses / photographer: Anni Hanén — Valorisation of hemicelluloses

ALL-CELL: From ultra-light to ultra-strong all-cellulose composites via green processing

Finland Distinguished Professor grant awarded to Prof. Tatiana Budtova (Center for Materials Forming of MINES ParisTech, France). The goal of the 4-year project (started 2016) is to imagine, prepare and characterize new fully bio-based materials, all-cellulose composites.

Feng Chen, Tatiana Budtova and Oona Korhonen - ALL-CELL team. Photo by Eveliina Jutila

Examples of ongoing research projects

Trash-2-Cash (EU Horizon 2020)
SolvRec (Business Finland)
iCom (Business Finland)
ALL-CELL (FiDiPro, Prof. Tatiana Budtova)
WoCaFi (ERC starting grant, Dr. Michael Hummel)
Tekide (ERDF)

Ioncell

Ioncell-F is a technology that turns used textiles, pulp or even old newspapers into new textile fibers sustainably and without harmful chemicals. The process converts cellulose into fibers which in turn can be made into long-lasting fabrics.

Awards

The Ioncell-F process was granted the Global Change Award 2016 by the H&M Conscious Foundation, the Paper Recycling Award 2015 of the European Recovered Paper Council (ERPC), and the DIA Innovation Award 2018.

γ-valerolactone biorefinery

γ-valerolactone pulping is a novel organic solvent fractionation process developed by Professor Herbert Sixta’s Biorefineries research group.

GVL biorefinery Photo: Aalto University / Anni Hanén

Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Biorefineries

Influence of reaction conditions on solvolysis of organosolv lignin using water and green organic co-solvents as reaction medium

Publishing year: 2020 Fuel Processing Technology

Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Biorefineries

Plasmonic cellulose textile fiber from waste paper for BPA sensing by SERS

Publishing year: 2020 Spectrochimica Acta - Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy

Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Biorefineries, Biohybrid materials, Department of Applied Physics, Wood Chemistry

Catalytic efficiency and stability of tertiary amines in oxidation of methyl 4-deoxy-β-L-threo-hex-4-enopyranosiduronic acid by hypochlorous acid

Publishing year: 2019 Molecular Catalysis

Biorefineries, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems

Dry-Jet Wet Spinning of Technical and Textile Filament Fibers from a Solution of Wood Pulp and Waste Cotton in an Ionic Liquid

Publishing year: 2019

Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Chemical engineering, Hydrometallurgy and Corrosion, Chemical Engineering in Aqueous Systems, Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems, Biorefineries