Forget fossil-based glues! By harnessing the natural potential of lignosulfonates and combining them with biotechnology, acib has developed a scalable, fully biobased adhesive platform. The technology delivers bonding performance comparable to conventional PVAc glues – minus the formaldehyde, fossil origin and microplastic risk. The result? A ready-to-implement green alternative that doesn’t compromise on quality.
Background
Synthetic adhesives dominate today’s wood and paper industries, but they come with downsides: formaldehyde emissions, microplastic contamination, fossil dependency, and high environmental impact. Even existing “green” options often require energy-intensive production or lack durability—especially under wet conditions. Meanwhile, lignosulfonates, a massively available and underused by-product from pulp and paper production, are mostly burned for energy. While their natural structure suggests high potential as a binder, past formulations have struggled to meet industrial requirements such as tensile strength and water resistance.
Technology
acib’s innovative enzymatic polymerization technology transforms low-cost, water-soluble lignosulfonates into high-performing, formaldehyde-free adhesives with excellent mechanical properties and enhanced wet resistance. Using laccases from fungi such as Myceliophthora thermophila or Trametes modesta, lignosulfonates are selectively oxidized, forming larger, branched polymers that significantly boost viscosity, molecular weight and bonding performance. This technology can be used:
- As a pure lignin adhesive for wood (performance equal to PVAc class D3 glues)
- As a lignin-starch hybrid glue with improved wet resistance (up to 10x longer durability in wet tests)
- In combination with crosslinkers like BTCA for enhanced bonding and tunable viscosity
This modular approach enables customized formulations for solid wood, plywood, paper bags, or laminates—all based on non-toxic, 100% renewable ingredients.
Offer
acib offers a fully developed, laboratory-proven, bio-adhesive platform based on enzymatically polymerized lignosulfonates. We invite industrial partners to co-develop application-specific formulations (wood panels, paper products, packaging), upscale production, and validate performance in your industrial process of choice.
Experts:
Prof. Dr. Georg GübitzDevelopment status:
Technology Readiness Level 4 (Technology Validated in Lab)Keywords:
Bio-based adhesives, Lignosulfonate, Enzymatic polymerization, Wood glue, Wet resistance, Sustainable bonding , Formaldehyde-free, Eco-Friendly Solutions, Industrial Sustainability, Green Chemistry
Picture: acib
