Our Technology

Lignin Chemistry

The conventional wisdom claims that - ‘You Can Make Anything Out of Lignin, Except Money’ – Prisma says – ‘We will take that bet!’

Prisma is wholeheartedly determined to end this half-century adage by first gaining a true understanding of lignin. Prisma realizes that the problem with lignin isn’t the lignin…it’s finding the right applications for the lignin!

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Based on a multi-year comprehensive analysis, Prisma identified critical parameters found in a ‘preferred lignin’ and developed our novel evolUTIA™ process to create a stream of lignins with these same characteristics from many types of biomass including hardwoods, softwoods, and grasses. Having consistent, high purity lignin allowed us to develop optimized materials as a result. From that basis, Prisma has been able to better understand how to build a multitude of high-value materials from evolUTIA™ lignin, ranging from anion-exchange membranes, carbon fiber composites, and biopolymers/plastics.

    With a firm understanding of the materials that were ‘possible’, we then worked backward to modify other sources of lignin beyond our own evolUTIATM variety. Commercially-available lignin streams, such as Kraft lignin from the Pulp and Paper industry, have a wonderful benefit as they are readily available and low cost. However, they must be modified in order to behave much like our evolUTIA™ lignin.

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Material Applications

Prisma has developed and licensed technologies which create a host of product categories, all of which are focused around the conversion of modified and tailored lignin into high-value composites and polymers. Our first commercial product is an ABS plastic replacement material, known as BioLAN™. BioLAN™ costs less, has higher tensile strength, higher UV resistance, and lower VOC levels than standard ABS resins. For more information about BioLAN™ please contact us!

Lignin Plastics

Lignin Elastomers

Lignin Carbon Fibers

EvolUTIA™

Originally envisioned as a front-end step to the biofuels industry Prisma developed and patented the ultimate fractionation process (evolUTIA™) in order to create the highest-purity lignin, hemi-cellulose, and cellulose streams. Biomass achieves its maximum value when utilizing evolUTIA™.

The evolUTIA™ process is an organic solvent (“organosolv”) fractionation process

In order to develop a complete understanding of lignin’s full potential, it was necessary for Prisma to work with its research partners in developing a highly consistent, ideal lignin. This led us to creating the ultimate fractionation process, evolUTIA™ . Envisioned as a front-end step to the biorefining industry, evolUTIA™  creates discreet streams of the highest purity lignin, hemi-cellulose, and cellulose. Biomass achieves its maximum value when utilizing EvolUTIA™.

Prisma’s evolUTIA™  process is patented (US Patent #10,145,163) and exclusively licensed to Prisma. The process has been scaled numerous times starting from bench top, through small-batch reactors, to commercially sized equipment. Although Prisma’s material products do not require us to deploy evolUTIA™ in order to create the necessary lignin stream, we are excited to work with any partners who believe evolUTIA™ may be a good fit for their needs.

EvolUTIA™

Originally envisioned as a front-end step to the biofuels industry, Prisma developed and patented the ultimate fractionation process (evolUTIA™) in order to create the highest-purity lignin, hemi-cellulose, and cellulose streams. Biomass achieves its maximum value when utilizing evolUTIA™.

The evolUTIA™ process is an organic solvent (“organosolv”) fractionation process

In order to develop a complete understanding of lignin’s full potential, it was necessary for Prisma to work with its research partners in developing a highly consistent, ideal lignin. This led us to creating the ultimate fractionation process, evolUTIA™ . Envisioned as a front-end step to the biorefining industry, evolUTIA™  creates discreet streams of the highest purity lignin, hemi-cellulose, and cellulose. Biomass achieves its maximum value when utilizing EvolUTIA™.

Prisma’s evolUTIA™  process is patented (US Patent #10,145,163) and exclusively licensed to Prisma. The process has been scaled numerous times starting from bench top, through small-batch reactors, to commercially sized equipment. Although Prisma’s material products do not require us to deploy evolUTIA™ in order to create the necessary lignin stream, we are excited to work with any partners who believe evolUTIA™ may be a good fit for their needs.