Cleaner Cleaning: Lignin, a Bio-Circular Alternative to Petrochemical Polymers

INFORM seminars offer AOCS members a deeper look beyond the printed page. Each month, we expand on a featured INFORM magazine article through an in-depth conversation with the author, exploring the research, context, and implications behind the work.

New seminars are released every third Wednesday of the month and are exclusive to AOCS members. Join us to gain added perspective, hear directly from the researchers, and stay connected to the science shaping oils, fats, lipids, and related fields.

Course Description

Explore how lignin is transforming cleaning formulations through sustainable, high-performance chemistry

As consumer brands and manufacturers seek alternatives to fossil-derived ingredients, lignin is emerging as a promising bio-circular solution for cleaning applications. Once viewed largely as a low-value byproduct of the pulp and paper industry, lignin is now being transformed into advanced biopolymers that can replace multiple petroleum-based additives in household and industrial cleaners.

Join AOCS for an INFORM Seminar featuring Ross Ellis, Researcher in Biopolymers at Borregaard, as he expands on his INFORM article, “Cleaner Cleaning: Lignin, a Bio-Circular Alternative to Petrochemical Polymers.” During this discussion, Ellis explores how lignosulfonates deliver dispersing, complexing, and solubilizing functionality while maintaining performance under challenging formulation conditions.

Participants will gain insight into the molecular properties that allow lignin-derived polymers to perform across wide pH ranges and elevated salt concentrations, where conventional synthetic polymers may struggle. The seminar will also examine how a multifunctional biopolymer can simplify formulations, support sustainability goals, and contribute to the transition toward a circular bioeconomy.

As regulatory pressures, climate commitments, and supply chain considerations continue to reshape the chemical industry, this seminar provides a timely look at the growing role of renewable materials in cleaning and home care products.

What You’ll Learn

How lignin evolved from a pulp and paper byproduct into a high-value ingredient for cleaning formulations
The chemistry behind lignosulfonate performance and resilience under extreme pH and salt conditions
How lignin-based polymers disperse soils, chelate metal ions, improve surfactant performance, and reduce soap scum formation
The formulation and economic benefits of replacing multiple additives with a single multifunctional biopolymer
Current barriers to broader market adoption of lignin-based cleaning ingredients
The role of circular economy initiatives, regulatory drivers, and sustainability goals in accelerating demand for bio-based alternatives
Future opportunities for lignin in household, institutional, and industrial cleaning applications

Featured Speaker

Ross Ellis focuses on the development and application of lignosulfonates for cleaning and detergent formulations. His work explores how lignin-derived biopolymers can deliver multifunctional performance while supporting sustainability objectives and reducing dependence on petrochemical ingredients. Through research and product development, Ellis helps advance innovative bio-based solutions for the home care and industrial cleaning sectors.

This INFORM Seminar accompanies the INFORM article “Cleaner Cleaning: Lignin, a Bio-Circular Alternative to Petrochemical Polymers,” providing attendees with an opportunity to hear directly from the author about the scientific principles, practical applications, and future potential of lignin-based cleaning technologies.

Whether you work in surfactants and detergents, industrial chemistry, ingredient innovation, sustainability, consumer products, or bio-based materials, this seminar offers valuable insight into one of the most promising renewable technologies emerging in the cleaning industry.

Who Should Attend

This INFORM Seminar will be valuable for professionals involved in cleaning product innovation, sustainable materials, and ingredient development, including:

Detergent and cleaning product formulators seeking alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. Surfactant scientists and household care researchers interested in improving cleaning performance while supporting sustainability goals. R&D professionals in home care, institutional cleaning, and industrial cleaning evaluating next-generation functional ingredients. Biopolymer and biomaterials researchers exploring new applications for lignin and other renewable feedstocks. Chemical engineers and product developers working on circular economy initiatives and bio-based product design. Sustainability, ESG, and corporate innovation leaders looking to reduce fossil-derived raw materials and carbon footprints. Ingredient suppliers and specialty chemical manufacturers interested in emerging market opportunities for renewable performance additives. Professionals in the Industrial Oil Products (IOP) Division focused on sustainable industrial formulations and specialty chemicals. Researchers and professionals in the Surfactants and Detergents (S&D) Division interested in cleaning chemistry, dispersants, and formulation performance. Academic researchers, graduate students, and early-career professionals studying lignin chemistry, renewable materials, green chemistry, and industrial biotechnology. Regulatory, technical, and business professionals monitoring market, policy, and sustainability trends affecting cleaning and consumer products.

This seminar is particularly relevant for anyone interested in how lignin can replace multiple petrochemical additives while enabling more sustainable, circular cleaning formulations.

Location & Pricing

FREE for AOCS members

Instructor(s)

Ross Ellis

Senior Researcher, Biopolymers

Borregaard

Registration & Access

Log in to access this INFORM seminar. Link to access the seminar will be provided September 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. CDT (Chicago, USA; UTC-05)

Cleaner Cleaning: Lignin, a Bio-Circular Alternative to Petrochemical Polymers