The hundredth lignin adhesive test – a significant step towards production technologies based on natural-origin materials
In November 2025, the Product Research Laboratory of Latvijas Finieris carried out the hundredth test of a new bio-based adhesive that could become an integral component of plywood production in the future. This milestone marks steady progress towards the company’s goal of developing gentler, natural-origin-based technologies and reducing dependence on fossil raw materials.
The development of the lignin adhesive is part of the international VIOBOND project, within which Latvijas Finieris is constructing a new Chemical Products Plant in Riga – a resin production facility that will be unique not only in Latvia, but also internationally. It will scale up the production of a new type of resin in which part of the fossil raw materials – phenol and formaldehyde – will be replaced by lignin, a natural wood-derived component. This innovation will significantly reduce the use of fossil resources and support a more sustainable approach to adhesive production. The planned production capacity is up to 45,000 tonnes per year.
The new adhesive is based on lignin, a natural polymer found in wood and other plants, mainly in the cell walls. Together with cellulose and hemicellulose, it forms the structure of wood. Lignin acts as a natural “glue” that binds cell-wall fibres, giving plants rigidity and mechanical strength. For adhesive development, Latvijas Finieris procures lignin that has already been processed, using it as a basis for LPF resin production.
Adhesive development in the laboratory is an intensive and precise process. In one testing cycle, researchers typically evaluate four different formulations and pressing regimes, assessing their strength, suitability for production, and long-term durability. The next steps will include more in-depth testing of selected adhesive compositions and demonstration under real industrial conditions once the new resin plant starts operating in 2026.
The Latvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry (LSIWC) warmly congratulates the Latvijas Finieris team on reaching the milestone of the hundredth lignin adhesive test – an important reference point in the VIOBOND project and in the wider transition towards production technologies based on natural-origin raw materials.
Dr. Jānis Rižikovs, Head of the Biorefinery Laboratory at LSIWC:
“We are pleased that Latvijas Finieris is coordinating the VIOBOND project and purposefully developing new technologies based on natural materials. We – the researchers of the LSIWC Biorefinery Laboratory and Laboratory of Lignin Chemistry – are glad to collaborate and support this process with our expertise in lignin and resin analytics, providing the information needed for technological decision-making and for the further improvement of new materials.”
Source: Latvijas Finieris
