COCOBIN: Bio-Based Materials for Coatings and Adhesion-based Applications
The COCOBIN project is dedicated to create bio-based dispersion and composite technologies for sustainable packaging coatings and adhesion-based applications. The overall objective is to make these biobased materials strong competitors in markets currently dominated by fossil-based polymers.
As the global demand to move away from fossil based and rare inorganic materials intensifies, finding sustainable alternatives has become more urgent than ever. One promising option is cellulose, one of the most abundant renewable biomaterials.
Cellulose nanofibrils, tiny building blocks of cellulose, has extraordinary properties — both mechanical, such as its high aspect ratio and strength, and chemical, due to its many active groups on the surface.
These characteristics make nanocellulose a strong candidate for replacing fossil-based materials and inorganic minerals, especially in applications like reinforcement, oxygen barriers, battery technology, and as a material for filters or membranes. However, its high cost remains a challenge.
The COCOBIN project aims to overcome these challenges by developing bio-based hybrid materials and creating a roadmap for upscaling dispersion and coatings from the lab to pilot scale.
Additionally, the project also focuses on creating material development, societal acceptance, and sustainable transitions to ensure recyclability, pulpability and environmental safety such as non-toxicity and biodegradability.
The goal is to develop materials with environmental advantages by reducing the use of non-renewable fossil materials and increasing recyclability and biodegradability, supporting a shift towards a circular economy. The research will not only explore the behavior of these new materials but also advance processes that can be used at a larger scale. These innovations will help drive sustainable solutions in dispersion technologies, coatings, adhesives and packaging.
Lastly… If you’re curious where the name COCOBIN comes from - it stands for Coating and Converting of Novel Bio-Based Dispersion.
Research partners
University of Oulu, University of Eastern Finland, LUT University, University of Tampere, Åbo Akademi University, VTT, LUKE Natural Resources Institute Finland.
Industry partners
Mirka, CH-Bioforce, CH-Polymers, Kiilto, MetGen, Metsä Board, Boreal Biproducts, Teknos, UPM-Kymmene, Valmet.