OHRIGINS: ANTIOXIDANTS LOOP

Circula valorization of pulp & paper black-liquor lignin into renewable antioxidant fractions via selective depolymerisation and low-energy downstream purification. These circular, lignin-based antioxidants replace fossil phenolic stabilisers across chemical, food, cosmetics, and materials sectors, creating regional loops that fit ECIV’s “circular lifestyles” and “sustainable food systems”.

Objectives

1. Deliver pilot/demo supply of robust, spec-controlled antioxidant fractions.

2. Prove performance (shelf-life, anti-oxidation, ageing resistance) in target applications.

3. De-risk safety/regulatory and demonstrate superior LCA/TEA vs. fossil benchmarks.

4. Build regional, traceable value chains from mills to market.

   • Formulation & use cases:

     • Chemicals: resins, adhesives, lubricants, coatings (oxidative stability, thermal resistance).

     • Food: clean-label preservation in fats, bakery, plant-based matrices.

     • Cosmetics: oxidation/UV control in emulsions and leave-ons.

     • Materials: anti-ageing in elastomers and recycled plastics/biocomposites.

   • Validation: DPPH/ORAC, Oxipres/DSC, accelerated ageing, processing compatibility, migration & tox, dossiers.

   • Sustainability & economics: LCA, techno-economics study, circularity KPIs.

   • Scale-up & market: pilot→demo supply, certification, go-to-market, revenue-sharing with mills.

   Partners we seek (roles)

   • Kraft pulp & paper mills (NUTS3 in ECIV regions): feedstock, utilities, demo hosting.

   • Separation/purification SMEs: membranes, chromatography, drying; spec control at scale.

   • Chemical formulators & OEMs: resins/adhesives/lubricants/coatings performance trials.

   • Food-tech & ingredient companies: shelf-life studies, clean-label positioning, food regulatory.

   • Cosmetic labs/brands: formulation, photostability, safety/claims generation.

   • Materials converters: rubber (SBR/NR/EPDM/NBR) and recycled plastics for anti-ageing tests.

   • Toxicology & regulatory experts: migration, exposure, dossiers (food/cosmetics/REACH).

   • Sustainability modellers: LCA/TEA, circularity metrics, verification.

   • Behaviour/market uptake specialists: consumer acceptance (food/cosmetics), B2B willingness-to-pay, procurement pilots.

   • Regional clusters & buyers (public/private): demand pull, green procurement pathways.