Publications

Publications in the markets of forest-based products and services, including production, consumption, prices, trade flows, major drivers, and expectations.

Man Holding Wooden Stick While Drilling Hole

To renovate or build with wood?

Jun 28, 2024

Finland strongly supports reducing its climate footprint originating for the built environment. But do the…

Close-up of a Little Owl Sitting on a Tree Branch

Forest Biodiversity in Europe

Jun 24, 2024

In a comprehensive study, authors analysed how to effectively maintain and enhance forest biodiversity in…

Sustainable finance and forest biodiversity criteria

Jun 24, 2024

A new science-policy study from EFI sets out how forest-related biodiversity could be included in the EU…

Global Electricity Review

May 30, 2024

Ember’s new Global Electricity Review provides the first comprehensive overview of changes in global electricity…

A competitive bioeconomy for a sustainable future

May 8, 2024

How can Europe transition to a low-carbon economy while continuing to ensure economic growth?

Synergies and trade-offs in the European forest bioeconomy research: State of the art and the way forward

Apr 25, 2024

This literature review explores the multidimensional concept of synergies and trade-offs, focusing on scientific publications…

Embracing the non-wood forest products potential for bioeconomy – Analysis of innovation cases across Europe

Feb 23, 2024

What are the barriers to non-wood forest products (NWFP) development? This study analysed 20 innovation…

1. Introduction 2. Materials and methods 3. Results and discussion 4. Conclusions Declaration of Competing Interest Acknowledgments Appendix A. Supplementary data Data availability References Show full outline Figures (9) Unlabelled figure Fig. 1. Formation of water-dispersible lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) with fully and… Fig. 2. 3D-reconstructed images of fully-, partially-, and non-acetylated lignin… Fig. 3. Appearance, hydrophilicity, and antifogging properties of fully acetylated… Fig. 4. Microscopic appearance of mono- and multilayers of fully acetylated lignin… Fig. 5. Thin films of partially acetylated lignin nanoparticles as photonic films Show 3 more figures Extras (4) Download all Supplementary video 2 Supplementary video 3 Supplementary video 4 Supplementary data 1 Elsevier Chemical Engineering Journal Volume 475, 1 November 2023, 145965 Chemical Engineering Journal Transparent lignin nanoparticles for superhydrophilic antifogging coatings and photonic films Author links open overlay panelKarl Alexander Henn a, Sahar Babaeipour a, Susanna Forssell b, Paula Nousiainen a, Kristoffer Meinander a, Pekka Oinas b, Monika Österberg a Show more Add to Mendeley Share Cite https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.145965 Get rights and content Under a Creative Commons license open access Highlights • Using lignin nanoparticles as transparent superhydrophilic antifogging coatings. • Preparing photonic lignin nanoparticle films with controllable colors. • Selective, quick, and direct lignin acetylation with conventional systems. • Scalable process for ≤ 100 nm lignin nanoparticle formation at high concentrations. Abstract Lignin nanoparticles are useful in multiple applications, but their opaqueness remains an obstacle in optical applications. In this study, we present a method to prepare optically clear lignin nanoparticle dispersions from acetylated lignin. Thin lignin nanoparticle films remained transparent when deposited on glass and other smooth surfaces, and monolayered particle films provided effective antifogging properties. The particles could also be used to prepare multilayered films with bright structural colors that could be controlled via the film-thickness and were retained in dry conditions. We also developed an improved energy- and cost-efficient esterification method for controlled and quick lignin acetylation. The reaction could be selectively controlled to acetylate only aliphatic groups or to also include phenolic groups. We show here that stable nanoparticle dispersions can be produced from acetylated lignin at very high initial lignin concentrations without the formation of aggregates. Both the very short reaction time and high possible lignin concentration make the process industrially feasible as shown with a preliminary techno-economic assessment. Graphical abstract of Transparent lignin nanoparticles for superhydrophilic antifogging coatings and photonic films by Henn et al./Aalto University (CC BY 4.0)

Using lignin nanoparticles as transparent superhydrophilic antifogging coatings

Feb 23, 2024

Lignin nanoparticles are useful in multiple applications, but their opaqueness remains an obstacle in optical…

Life cycle stages for wood-based textile fibres from EFI Policy Brief 5 by Hassegawa and Orfanidou.

Environmental impacts of wood-based textile fibres

Feb 23, 2024

In EFI Policy Brief 5, Mariana Hassegawa and Timokleia Orfanidou point out that environmental performance…