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Publications

NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.

2017

Abstract

The industrial demand for wax is about 1.000.000 tons annually from which about only 3% is covered by natural waxes and 97% (mainly as paraffin) is produced from non-renewable (mainly fossil) sources. The total market value for this market is about 600-700 M€ per year. Compared to synthetic waxes which are fossil (oil) based and chemically processed materials, the natural waxes are produced by biogenesis, renewable and thus contribute to sustainable processes and reduced carbon emission. Also, natural waxes show well-balanced composition and perform in many applications much better than their synthetic counterparts. In Scandinavia we have very interesting candidates for domestic wax production i.e. wild berries such as lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idae L.) and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) are abundantly found and important industrially utilized wild berries in arctic nature but we have also other interesting species like black crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) and bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum). Wild berries are used increasingly by food industry due to their reported health and probiotic effects but much of the resource material is wasted as side stream after the food processing. In this project we want to develop methods for exploiting the raw material still present in the side stream and thus increasing its value. The broad expertise areas of the researchers involved covering biology, technology and marketing offer excellent background for the present project. The results achieved will be presented in the meeting. The project is funded by Interreg Nord.