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Discover all WoodInchem services

Research & Development

Program of non-competitive projects aligned with a common roadmap & support in setting up R&D projects

  • Extraction and characterization of chemical compounds from wood
  • Development of new bio-based materials
  • Optimization of wood transformation processes
  • Valorization of forestry and wood industry co-products
  • Support for the industrial scale-up of innovative technologies
  • Access to a technological demonstration platform for the transformation and valorization of woody biomass
  • Support for the production of biosourced molecules and extracts for the cosmetics, nutraceuticals, specialty chemicals and phytosanitary markets
  • Provision of state-of-the-art equipment for wood extraction and processing
  • Access to key technologies for deconstruction and extraction of wood components
  • Pooling of characterization and analysis equipment
  • Pooling of databases and research results
Analysis and testing
  • Characterization of properties
  • Tests for compliance with standards, quality control
  • Process modeling
  • Setting up collaborative public/private R&D projects – competitive, confidential
  • Market studies, prospective studies, biomass deposit studies
  • Technical and economic feasibility analyses for projects Administrative and industrial risk studies
  • Carbon footprint, life cycle analysis and demonstration of environmental impact
  • Technological and regulatory watch
  • Training programs on innovative wood chemistry technologies
  • Practical workshops on the use of specialized equipment
  • Seminars on the latest advances in biorefinery and forest biomass valorization

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Wood extractives

Wood is not just a building material or a source of energy. It abounds in valuable chemical compounds – flavonoids, tannins, resin acids – which, once extracted, can revolutionize sectors such as cosmetics, agriculture and nutraceuticals.

WoodInChem has positioned itself in the valorisation of wood extractives: exploiting the treasures hidden in bark, knots and heartwood to meet the growing needs of industries in search of natural alternatives.

Wood extractives represent a booming market thanks to their unique biological and chemical properties. Here are a few figures to illustrate their potential:

  • Cosmetics: tannins and flavonoids derived from wood, prized for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, target a European market estimated at 200 million euros.
  • Nutraceuticals: Natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant molecules meet a global demand estimated at 3 billion dollars.
  • Biocontrol & Biostimulants: Agriculture is looking for alternatives to traditional chemical products, paving the way for natural solutions derived from wood.

From proof of concept to pilot

  • Qualification of the wood ressource– evaluation of the chemical composition and variability of extracts from different species and wood fractions (bark, knots, heartwood, etc.).
  • Choice of technology (development of a material preparation line and conventional or assisted extraction technology)
  • Demonstration of biological activity in silico, in vitro, in vivo…

Demonstrator and sizing of future plants

  •  Optimization of sorting, micronization, extraction, purification, functionalization processes…
  •  Technical, economic and environmental demonstration of a production line for biologically active wood extracts for specific applications
  • Recommendations on industrial-scale dimensioning
  • Industrial feasibility and regulatory requirements.

Contract wood extract production

• The production of custom wood extracts for non-food and non-pharmaceutical applications is based on the use of local species and extraction methodologies that may be conventional or less so, but which are more respectful of the environment.

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A regional strategy for assessing wood deposits and extracting value from woods

  1. EXTRAFOREST
  2. VIBIO Ce
  3. EXTRABARK
  4. EXTRABATCH 
a doctor with dark hair and a beard in a white lab coat standing outside in a natural green environment
Collaborating with the WoodINChem platform has been a unique opportunity to develop innovative solutions in biobased chemistry. Their network and expertise facilitate exchanges between researchers.
— Dr. Mathieu Leroy, Chercheur en chimie verte, Université de Strasbourg