Material Research Seminar: Modification of lignocellulose for microplastic removal and use in hair care products
Welcome to the Material Research Seminar! Bruno Medronho, visiting professor at Mid Sweden University, lectures on research regarding the potential use of cellulose and lignin as substitutes for synthetic plastic materials, commonly used in industry. Please note that the seminar will be in English.
Researchers have been exploring the potential of using cellulose and lignin as substitutes for synthetic plastic materials, which are commonly used in industrial applications. One challenge with cellulose and lignin is that they are poorly soluble in typical solvents, making them difficult to use in many contexts. To address this, they need to undergo chemical modicications that increase their reactivity and make them more functional.
In this project, we have modified cellulose by adding chemical groups that make it both positively charged (cationic) and water-repellent (hydrophobic).
These new cellulose derivates have been tested to see how well they can collect and remove microplastics from wastewater. We have also evaluated whether these modified cellulose compounds are harmful to aquatic organisms, testing them on species from different parts of the food chain.
A similar approach was used for lignin, where we created new varieties of lignin with positive charges. These have been tested to see if they can work as ingredients in hair care products.
The seminar is open to everyone.
Participate in the Zoom seminar
Code: 023447
The seminar is part of HIPS, a project that focuses on sustainability and innovation. HIPS is funded by Region Västernorrland and the European Regional Development Fund.