Practicality and economic viability of replacing bisphenols with lignin?

[u/Thunder_Burt]

Recent closures in pulp and paper industry have made me think about whether these pulp and paper plants could pivot to making lignin as a bisphenols replacement in plastic especially with the growing awareness of bisphenols harmful effects. Do you guys have any insights on how practical this would be and if it could become a cost effective alternative in the future? What would it take?

[u/Substandard_eng2468]

I am not sure about using lignin to replace BPA. But ligin is a small fraction of the pulp process. I don't believe it is economically viable as a mill's main product.

[u/pker_guy_2020 → u/Substandard_eng2468]

It could be an additional side-stream to generate more value instead of burning the black liquor for electricity.

[u/Substandard_eng2468 → u/pker_guy_2020]

At some mills, lignin is an additional side stream where it is separated from the black liquor. The purpose of burning black liquor is to reduce the NaSO4 to Na2S so it can be used in the cooking, and the steam generation is the byproduct.

As the main product and current market, lignin wouldn't be viable.

[u/reptheevt → u/Substandard_eng2468]

Yeah I feel like the only times lignin extraction is valuable is if you’re at the edge of your maximum steaming rate on your recovery boilers and want to to squeeze more liquor burning by lowering heating value.