Proionic is proud to announce the first successful extraction of Lignin from Austrian spruce sawdust using HIPE-REC^®. The utilization of distillable ionic liquids to convert Biomass waste into valuable products is currently investigated at proionic in the framework of the green frontrunner program funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Besides the extraction efficiency of the ionic liquids being investigated the key benefit of the HIPE-REC^® technology is the high recycling rates that can be realized for the eco-solvents. This will lead to an economically feasible process on the larger scale. To add value to the generated Lignin diverse follow-up processes will be investigated including the production of Biofuels, Carbon fibers, cosmetic additives etc.

Martina Ortner, Project Manager of the Green Frontrunner Project

“The hard work in the last two years has paid off. We have screened dozens of distillable ionic liquids regarding their potential to selectively extract Lignin and their recyclability. We have generated a broad know-how basis and are looking forward to the detailed analysis of our Lignin and its potential to be applied in several applications. Besides Lignin, the next focus will be the isolation and purification of the Cellulosic fraction and the whole team is looking forward to the upcoming challenges!”