Domtar Begins Production of Commercial Lignin at Plymouth Mill
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Domtar Corp., Montreal, Que., Canada, reports that it has successfully installed a commercial-scale lignin separation plant at its Plymouth, N.C., USA, mill, the first U.S. facility of its type in more than 25 years. The production of BioChoice™ lignin began in February, with a targeted rate of 75 tpd, destined for a wide range of industrial applications as a bio-based alternative to the use of petroleum and other fossil fuels.
The successful installation of commercial-scale lignin removal capacity at the Plymouth Mill is the culmination of a research and engineering project launched by Domtar in 2010. This project was further boosted when the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy awarded the company a grant through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative. Domtar's lignin operation sets a new path for the industry and also marks its latest sustainability milestone.
"Our vision is to be a global leader in fiber-based innovation," said Bruno Marcoccia, Domtar's director of research and development. "A big part of this is our focus on partnering with best-in class collaborators to develop new products and markets for a wide portfolio of initiatives, like BioChoice."
Hasan Jameel, a professor in North Carolina State University's Department of Forest Biomaterials, noted that "the possibilities for making a real difference in terms of offering manufacturers a bio-based alternative to the use of petro-chemicals is truly exciting. This is a big win for sustainability on two counts—Domtar improves the efficiency of its pulp-making process, and at the same time the market gets a reliable, high-quality source of this underused material with so much potential."
A wide range of potential applications for BioChoice lignin exists, including fuels, resins, and thermoplastics.
Domtar produces a wide variety of fiber-based products including communication papers, specialty and packaging papers, and adult incontinence products. The foundation of its business is a network of wood fiber converting assets that produce paper grade, fluff, and specialty pulps, the majority which is consumed internally to manufacture paper and consumer products. In 2012, Domtar had sales of $5.5 billion from nearly 50 countries. It employs some 9,300 people.
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