UPM is continuing to push lignin beyond its traditional role as a combustion byproduct, developing new applications in industrial resins through its BioPiva line.
Produced from softwood kraft lignin, BioPiva is being positioned as a renewable alternative to a portion of the fossil-based materials commonly used in resins, adhesives and related formulations. Lignin’s natural polymer structure gives it binding and strengthening properties that allow it to be incorporated into existing systems without major changes to performance.
The product range includes BioPiva 100, a purified lignin powder, and BioPiva 395GR, a granulated version designed to ease handling in industrial settings. UPM reports lignin content above 95% and low residual ash, with specifications aimed at maintaining consistency from one batch to the next.
The company says the material is non-toxic, fully bio-based and already available at commercial scale. More broadly, the development reflects a growing effort across the pulp and paper sector to extract greater value from lignin, long used primarily as an internal energy source in mills.
Adoption at scale will likely hinge on how well lignin performs in different formulations, how it compares on cost, and how easily it can be integrated into existing resin production processes. As pressure builds to reduce reliance on fossil carbon, lignin is increasingly being viewed as a practical feedstock rather than a secondary output.
UPM Biochemicals converts sustainably sourced wood into renewable glycols, industrial sugars and lignin-based materials for chemical and manufacturing applications.
