Reference projects

Funding: BMELV; FNR || Duration: May 2017 – April 2019 || With the described investigations, the project will form a connection between the material use of Kraft-lignin and its theoretical potential in biomaterials. Simultaneously, by increasing the ratio of the material use of lignin fossil resources such as crude oil and natural gas can be saved and an impact on the greenhouse effect through development of CO2 neutral technologies can be reduced. In addition, the efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of present and future pulp mills could be enhanced by the development of new fields of application for oxo-functionalized lignin oligomers.

Funding: BMEL; FNR || Duration: May 2010 – April 2013 || Rising prices for raw materials and the increasing scarcity of mineral oil resources are boosting the interest in renewable resources and in strategies for the sustainable production of special materials, fine chemicals or platform chemicals. Emulating the concept from the petrochemical industry these biobased materials will in future be made available by biorefineries. Native hardwoods offer themselves as a chemical feedstock that is available sustainably and without competing with foodstuff production. For the conversion of wood or lignocellulose into platform chemicals for the chemical industry of the future, the wood first of all has to be broken down and separated into its basic chemical components.

Funding: BMEL || Duration: July 2013 – December 2016 || Developing lignin as a source of raw materials for aromatic synthesis components. The required aromatic compounds are obtained by means of hydrolytic degradation of the macromolecular lignins and then functionalized chemically and enzymatically to make adhesives, paints, polyurethanes and epoxides.

Funding: EU; Hoizon 2020 || Duration: November 2022 – October 2026 || Healthy and sustainable food – is this possible? The European Like-A-Pro project deals with the production of food from sustainable resources, and simultaneously the understanding of the consumer’s affections and needs that have to be satisfied to render the European dietary more healthy and in harmony with nature.

Funding: BMBF || Duration: May 2023 – April 2026 || Sustainability is also in demand in the field of cosmetics and perfumery. In this project, we at Fraunhofer CBP want to isolate lauric acid, which is found in maggot fat, and convert it into a Chanel No. 5 fragrance.

Funding: state of Saxony-Anhalt; EFRE || Duration: March 2017 – December 2019 || The project »Phenowood« includes further scientific investigation of the catalytic cleavage of lignin in order to gain a deeper understanding of the reaction mechanism, and then to define product specifications of phenol derivatives and to scale the process

Funding: EFRE EU (Sachsen-Anhalt) || Duration: July 2022 – March 2023 || Outdoor cultivation of algae is characterized by highly variable light and temperature conditions and allows only low space-time yields despite most advanced flat-panel reactor systems. Therefore, the aim of the project is the concept development and the construction of a novel modular and artificially illuminated photobioreactor. In this context, a first ultra-compact prototype will be tested with the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis and the necessary parameters for further scaling of the system will be determined.

Funding: BMBF || Duration: January 2022 – December 2025 || Unused raw material potentials are to be made available through a novel processing strategy. The focus here is on the processing of hot metal desulphurisation slag (RES) from iron and steel production. The recyclable materials obtained in this way are to replace primary materials in the steel, cement and fertiliser industries and also reduce climate-relevant process emissions.

Funding: Interreg Europe || Duration: April 2016 – March 2020 || SmartPilots’ objective is to improve regional policies in support of Shared Pilot Facilities to increase their impact within the deployement on the Key Enabling technology (KET) Industrial Biotech and the bioeconomy.

Funding: BMEL || Duration: October 2023 – September 2024 || Aromatic molecules are indispensable for countless products of the chemical industry, including medication, pesticides, or plastics. So far, they are primarily extracted from mineral oil. The Solicar project of Fraunhofer CBP revolves around developing and testing a new process of a base-catalyzed thermal solvolysis, to gain monoaromatic hydrocarbons and low-molecular derivates from the lignin biopolymer. Here, the dimethyl carbonate (DMC), a “green”, non-toxic, and environmentally friendly solvent, is used.