Sperlu™
Turns Waste Into Plastics
New process deconstructs lignin to form key building blocks of thermoset plastics
Our core technology is SPERLU™, which stands for Selective Process for Efficient Removal of Lignin and Upgrading. This patent-pending technology selectively breaks down and purifies lignin, creating truly sustainable feedstocks for plastics and other applications.
From Biomass to Bisphenol
The SPERLU process converts lignin, a readily available non-food biomass, into a variety of biophenols. Among other uses, SPERLU biophenols can be used to make a direct replacement for petroleum-based bisphenol A (BPA) in the synthesis of epoxies and other thermoset plastics. Using our lignin-based biophenols as building blocks, we have formulated a variety of epoxy and thermoset resins with costs and properties matching their petroleum-based counterparts.
From Waste to Revenue
Lignin is a biopolymer found in all plants, typically accounting for 10-25% of their mass. Every year more than 70 million tons of lignin are burned as a low-value heat source within the paper pulp and biofuel industries. SPERLU can be considered an add-on technology to create new revenue streams from waste, adding value to paper plants, biofuel producers, biomass- powered power plants and other biomass generators and users.
From Bench Top to Pilot Plant
To develop SPERLU technology, Spero Renewables has received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Science Foundation. We operate a mini-pilot unit our headquarters in Santa Barbara, California. And we are actively planning construction of a pilot unit capable of processing one ton of biomass per day in preparation for commercial deployment of the technology.