In Finland, the SuperBark program has launched to develop new adhesives and coatings from pine and spruce bark, which are major industrial side streams for of the forest industry. Most adhesives and coatings currently on the market are produced using fossil-based and harmful chemicals. The four-year effort aims to improve the sustainability and safety profiles of adhesive and coating products for wood panels and packaging paper.
SuperBark will use polyphenols extracted from tree bark using a new alkaline fractionation technology, as well as cellulose nanofibrils converted from cellulose-rich bark residues.
The SuperBark program is funded by a €4.5 million grant from the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. The project’s interdisciplinary consortium consists of 12 partners from eight countries. It kicked-off on September 1 and will run through August 2027.
“SuperBark aims to eliminate consumer exposure to formaldehyde-based resins and per- and polyfluorinated substances used in coatings. The research will be guided by Safe and Sustainable by Design principles and will apply digital technologies to accelerate the development of adhesives and coatings into products with a long-lasting impact on human health and the environment,” says Marc Borrega, Senior Scientist and Project Manager from VTT.