Sustainable industry and resource use

Ionic Liquid Bursts Open Wood Fibres In Minutes

High-grade biopolymers can be obtained from wood, which could replace fossil resources as a base material for a variety of products. However, this requires gentler processes than, for example, the production of cellulose for paper manufacture. So-called ionic liquids are suitable for breaking down wood in a gentle first-treatment step, and for making its components accessible for further processing.