Stora Enso launches renewable replacement for oil based phenolic materials

Green Solutions

The launch of Lineo by Stora Enso is an important step on the way to replacing fossil based materials with renewable solutions. Lineo is available to companies seeking more sustainable, bio based alternatives.

Lignin is a renewable replacement for oil based phenolic materials which are used in resins for plywood, oriented strand board, laminated veneer lumber, paper lamination and insulation material.

Markus Mannström, executive vice president of the Stora Enso Biomaterials division, said: ‘Having increased our lignin focus in recent years, we are delighted to launch Lineo. Lignin is a non toxic raw material with traceable origin and stable cost structure, and bio based Lineo is ideal for companies looking for alternatives to oil based products. We believe that everything made from fossil based materials today, can be made from a tree tomorrow.’

Stora Enso has been producing lignin at industrial scale since 2015 at its Sunila Mill in Finland. The mill’s capacity is 50,000 tonnes per year, making Stora Enso the largest kraft lignin producer in the world. The company is already selling Lineo to replace phenol, and is also looking at many other applications for this very versatile material.

A stable, free flowing brown powder, Stora Enso’s lignin is separated during the Kraft pulping process of Nordic softwood. Lineo has a high dry content, superior dispersibility and long storage time. With a higher reactivity and purity, Lineo is consistent from batch to batch and Stora Enso can supply different levels of dryness, according to customer demand.