R&D 2023
breaking wood into high utility, higher value, green, biodegradable products
We deem climate change to be more than anxiety-ridden Armageddon, the biggest challenge facing humanity. We strongly believe it’s full of opportunity: to reduce landfill, for people, for forestry, for rural communities, for business. Just as important, we bring hope that humanity will truly confront - and overcome climate change: With the rest of humanity, GreenChem simply does its bit.
Because our technology faces fossil fuels, especially the non-fuel bits, our opportunity is significant. We seek to initiate and underpin activities that address 1% of GHGs. That’s a large claim for a Kiwi entity, a bigger goal, and a credible opportunity!
Supported by NZ’s Callaghan Innovation, GreenChem has built a set of machines, developed systems, and completed groundbreaking R&D. We do ‘our bit’, yet our success involves generous portions of humility, fun, teamwork, Kiwi ingenuity, boot strapping, plus doses of genuine determination. Enjoy, just as we’ve enjoyed stepping our way towards opportunity.
BOOTS
These boots have been part of our trials for almost two decades! Carrying many burdens, now stained with lignin, they belong to Dr Ross Prestidge, GreenChem’s head of science. If only they could speak!!
WOODCHIPS
All of GreenChem’s novel, high quality, biodegradable, ‘green’, biomaterial products begin life as humble wood chips – being specific, hardwood chips. (Hardwood is an ancient forester term for flowering trees – angiosperms). Our technology is premised on flowering trees because we derive higher quality products using benign treatments.
Pressure vessel
The pressure vessel undertakes the tough work cooking woodchips using a variety of treatments. Using GreenChem’s system, 3 key products derive from portions of wood.
Our pressure vessel works at moderate temperature and pressure.
The condenser uses cold water to reduce steam expelled from the pressure vessel into liquids that collect each product, step by step.
Harvest Hemicellulose
One step is to harvest hemicellulose. It includes the condenser that cools the steam into liquid carrying the core product. Hardwood hemicellulose will produce a couple of value-add products.
Filtration System
Filtering lignin is a challenge! Rather than a sophisticated commercial system, Ross devised and implemented his own design. It’s been improved several times with support and insight from others.
GRINDING MACHINE
Once dried the lignin is ground into its final form. Essentially a fine powder, our high-quality lignin will be used as it functions in trees – forming bonds with other compounds.
Drying Machine
To ensure that we measure dry matter, and so we keep an eye on true yields, we’ve used a benchtop oven to dry woody materials.
Rinsing the Pulp
An iconic Kiwi washing machine is the device used to rinse and spin dry our pulp.
Pulp Collection Service
We had the most fun, AND the most perplexity, learning to convert wood chips into pulp.
Using a sophisticated valve system to convert wood chips to pulp, we devised this (albeit less sophisticated) collection system to collect pulp.
Supported by Callaghan Innovation, NZ