By Bruce GeiselmanRenCom AB, a Swedish company whose founders have a background in the pulp and paper industry, has started producing a thermoplastic biomaterial known as Renol on a Coperion ZSK twin-screw extrusion system.
In February, the companies announced the start of production.
“We are now in a position to produce Renol in large quantities and thus make a major contribution to the challenges with fossil-based plastics,” said Johan Verendel, RenCom’s chief technical officer.Renol, a biomaterial made from lignin, replaces fossil-based plastics. It can make up as much as half the resin in recipes for films (such as shopping bags) and injection molded plastic products such as furniture and automobile parts, and as a replacement for non-biodegradable rubber as an infill material in artificial turf. It can be used directly in existing processing equipment without any modifications to machines or methods.Renol requires little water and produces a minimal carbon footprint, and it has good mechanical and physical properties, according to Rencom and Coperion. “We are very happy to be able to support this innovative company on their exciting journey,” said Peter von Hoffmann, Coperion’s GM of engineering plastics and special applications. “We see big potential for their lignin-based product decreasing the carbon footprint by substituting fossil-based plastics.” The two companies announced in 2020 that they were conducting studies in Coperion’s extrusion test lab in Stuttgart, Germany, and planned to begin production soon.Coperion delivered a ZSK twin-screw extruder, strand pelletizing system, lignin bag dump station, big bag station and gravimetric feeders to RenCom. RenCom can produce more than 1,000 tons of Renol each year.Bruce Geiselman, senior staff reporter
For more information:Coperion Corp., Sewell, N.J., 856-256-3175, www.coperion.comRenCom AB, Knivsta,Sweden, 46-76102-1536, www.lignin.se
