The paper engineering of the UPC Campus group participates in 'biorenew'

In the paper industry apply new processes in the image of them in a simple way carried out in the nature. This is the way in which the project 'biorenew', through biotechnology, wants to develop new processes and environmentally friendly products. In addition the project aims to implement the concept of biorefinery, for not only the cellulose but also the lignin from wood and other lignocellulosic materials.

'biorenew' this led by CSIC, and the Group of engineering trash (Cipagraf) of the Department of textile engineering i recycle the UPC has an important role. Like other Spanish groups also involved the Irnas (CSIC), the University of Santiago and the companies Ence and Celesa. This is a European project of great importance, within the 6th framework programme. Involving 26 European agencies which include enterprises, laboratories and universities more significant sector, with a budget of EUR 15 million, of which 9.5 are the European Union, and that you will have to produce results in the year 2010.

Each year be made 367 million tons of paper in the world. In the State Spanish, each citizen consumes 183 kg of paper (I) are produced 5.7 million tonnes. European consumption figures are 132 kilograms per year and nearly 110 million tons produced each year. There are 131 companies that manufacture paper or pulp in Spain, which invoice 4.1 billion euros a year and employ 18,000 workers. These figures underscore the importance of the industrial sector of the paper to the society from both the economic and social point of view as environmental. The Group of engineering trash (Cipagraf) of the Department of textile engineering i recycle the UPC Campus Terrassa has an important role in the macro European 'Biorenew', a project which is inspired by nature to generate new paper products without polluting.

Production on a large scale paper, often requires, (also on a large scale) production of chemical reactions and much energy expenditure. Some of these chemical reactions are produced in a way more easily and spontaneously in some living beings due to proteins called enzymes, which are those that accelerate these processes; However natural enzymes are very far from work under industrial conditions. Research and implementation of new enzymes (biocatalysts) can allow an environmentally friendly technology environmentally friendly replacing more polluting chemicals from industrial processes, for example eliminating derivatives chlorinated in the laundering of paper pulp. You can also permit new products derived from lignin as surfactants or adhesives. It is the bioengineering applied to the paper industry.

The engineering group paper of the UPC in Terrassa Campus participates in different work of the European macro 'biorenew', especially in the development of papermaking fibers with new properties able to provide new features and uses the role with a high added value: make it more resilient, endowing it with greater resistance to water, or antimicrobial properties and saving energy in industrial manufacturing processes. Researchers of the UPC in Terrassa also work in other aspects of the project as the improvement of the Elimination of the lignin with enzymes, contributing their experience in these processes more sustainable and friendly to the environment.

And it is the main source of renewable material of Earth, wood, is made at 50 per cent by cellulose and between 20 to 30 percent for lignin, a polymer that protects and surrounds the fibers of the plant. To make paper you should separate these two components, and today, is done with chemical reagents. In 'biorenew' is studied and investigated the production of the maximum possible number of enzyme catalysts, depending on the type of biomass that splits and the role you want to make, to imitate the natural process of degradation of wood and thus reduce the use of chemicals.

Besides the obvious advantages for the environment of this new system of Bioengineering, another goal is to take advantage of the lignin which is now pulled, obtaining products that can replace some petroleum products which are not renewable. 'biorenew' is intended to make a comprehensive use of plant biomass taking advantage of all the compounds of the wood that can be used for the production of paper, chemical or even ethanol. This is what begins to be called biorefinery.