This project will investigate novel sustainable platform chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass to produce bio-derived polymers for highly functionalized applications (e.g., automotive industry, coatings, packaging, etc). A stream of wood sugars from forestry residues is used as raw material, so to promote an efficient use of resources and a circular economy perspective.

A key intermediate in polymer development is citric acid, a large volume product currently produced from raw materials of agricultural origin. The efficient route from lignocellulosic sugar streams to citric acid could further amplify its potentials.

The environmental benefits and possible adverse effects are analyzed for enabling the optimization of the production process from a sustainability point of view, and the performance of the bio-based polymers will be benchmarked against conventional fossil-derived plastics.