Black Liquor is a material that is largely underestimated. In Germany alone 98 % ( aka. 50 million tons per year) are incinerated. And that's despite the fact that this by-product of the paper industry contains a promising biopolymer: lignin. As the second most abundant polymer on earth, it could play an important role in the development away from petroleum-based substances and towards biobased substances. In BLACK LIQUOR, we have joined forces with the Fraunhofer WKI wood research institute to develop new approaches as to how the polymer can be used more widely in the future. The developed materials are harmless in production and use and are based on renewable raw materials and industrial by-products. They help to transfer existing waste streams into new material cycles and prevent CO2 emissions. This has resulted in a range of material properties & application possibilities: From solid board materials for furniture construction to flexible leather alternatives for the fashion industry.

The work was developed by Esther Kaya Stögerer and Jannis Kempkens in the textile & surface design and product design departments at the Weißensee Art Academy Berlin as part of the research cluster greenlab - Laboratory for sustainable design strategies and in collaboration with the wood research institute Fraunhofer WKI.