NUREMBERG, Germany—Brazilian pulp and paper manufacturer Suzano S.A. and German chemicals distributor Behn Meyer Group have entered a partnership to supply sustainable additives to the European rubber market.
Behn Meyer will market Suzano's lignin-based bioproduct Ecolig as a "sustainable additive" in the European market, the partners said in a joint statement June 28.
Ecolig, they said, is "a sustainable alternative" to chemical additives and fossil-based antioxidants currently used to prevent oxidation and enhance the performance of rubber. The additive is produced at Suzano's mill in Limeira, Sao Paulo, with all raw material sourced from the Brazilian group's integrated "responsibly operated" eucalyptus tree farms.
Kraft lignin is a by-product of the pulp and paper making process and is present in the eucalyptus wood that Suzano cultivates.
Suzano's Ecolig, according to the statement, has "a wide range of applications due to its high antioxidant potential, UV radiation absorption and binding properties."
The partnership is aligned with Behn Meyer's strategy to make its rubber product portfolio more sustainable through the addition of renewable materials.
The German group serves rubber and plastics industry customers in more than 20 countries in the European Union and United Kingdom.
"Through this collaboration, we aim to promote the versatility of renewable materials like lignin in the creation of rubber-based products," said Kewalin Petcharat, Behn Meyer's sustainability leader.
