New Nanomaterial-Based Functionalities to be Developed for Forest Products

The Recyclable End Products Will Reduce Landfill Waste

New functionalities and thinner, stronger structures are developed as part of the EUR 9.8 million programme on new nanomaterial-based applications. The project is designed to create new fibre-based and recyclable paper and packaging products which will reduce landfill waste and minimise the use of petroleum-based chemicals.

The SUNPAP (Scaling Up Nanoparticles in Modern Paper Making) project has received funding from the European Community's 7th Framework Programme under the NMP program. The project will address the strengthening of European paper industry competitiveness by means of nanocellulose based processes to provide radical product performance improvements, new efficient manufacturing methods and the introduction of new added value functionalities.

Launched this summer with 22 partners, the three-year SUNPAP Project will run until June 2012. The EU will cover nearly 70% of the project costs. Most of the project work will be carried out in Finland, Germany and France at research centres committed to the regeneration of forest industries (VTT, PTS and CTP). The Finnish partners include the project coordinator VTT, Aalto University, Tampere University of Technology, Pöyry, The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, and Biosafe. Other research partners come from Italy, Sweden, Portugal, Austria and the UK. The industrial commitment in this up-scaling project is large; 11 from 22 partners are large industrial partners or small enterprises. The large industrial partners – and future beneficiaries of SUNPAP project results within forest industries – are Stora Enso, Ahlstrom, UPM-Kymmene, Felix Schoeller and J. Rettenmaier.