BPI Seminar by Dr. Frank Kvietok
September 1, 2026, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
Industrial Applications of Lignocellulosics: New Directions for Composite Bio-Fillers, Sorbents/Filtration Media, and Biocarbon
Location: CHBE #202, 2360 East Mall Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4
Agenda
- 10:00 AM Introduction by Dr. Emily Cranston
- 10:05 AM Presentation by Dr. Frank Kvietok, Senior Director of Innovation, Lignetics Inc.
- 11:45 AM Q&A
Abstract
Lignetics, Inc. is a company that produces a wide variety of consumer and industrial products from wood residuals. We have 30 manufacturing locations in North America and processed over 2.2 million metric tons of biomass in 2025. Our R&D and Innovation program is set-up to continually focus on answering the question ‘what is the best thing to do with wood residuals?’. Our goal is to maximize the beneficial environmental impact that these materials afford relative to alternate solutions. Historically, heating pellets and large animal bedding have served as reliable responses to this question. In recent years, we have expanded this to cooking pellets and cat litter. Industrial markets, where material is used as a component in another product or as part of a process, have shown to be in high demand and represent a significant portion of our overall development efforts. Research in three areas will be reviewed: 1. Advances in wood flour as a bio-filler in composite systems; 2. New bio-materials and processing for high performance sorbency and filtration; and 3. Biocarbon progress towards material formats consistent with facile handling and utilization in a variety of applications. Much of what we work on is done in close collaboration academic entities, research institutes, and other for-profit companies. We welcome the opportunity to identify joint projects with UBC community.
About the Speaker
Frank has deep roots in both the R&D and consumer sides of innovation. He has over 30 years of experience identifying business opportunities while leading product/technology development with companies like Procter & Gamble, Orange Glo International, Launch Pad, American Recreation Products, Tersus Solutions, and Lignetics across categories as diverse as cleaning, fragrance, foods, dietary supplements, textiles, outdoor equipment/clothing, biomass, and cleantech. As a Ph.D. chemist with a design-mentality, Frank has helped many companies create strong, new businesses.
Because Frank has both considerable experience in large, multi-national organizations, as well as numerous start-up ventures, he brings deep functional expertise across a wide range of areas along with a track record of translating ideas into businesses. At P&G, Orange Glo, American Recreation Products, and currently Lignetics, Frank leads teams responsible for identifying new opportunities for investment and growth. These opportunities included both internally developed products/technologies and those externally sourced or co-developed with a partner. The portfolio management approach to building, maintaining, prioritizing, and resourcing new opportunities has been a foundation of his approach. Equally important has been Frank’s success in building innovation teams that collaborate seamlessly with teams that execute on commercial execution and deployment. Blending this perspective with his experience in Launch Pad, Tersus, and KV-Designs allows him to maintain a nimble, start-up approach with solid, strategic thinking. Frank leads R&D, Product Development, ESG, Gov’t Affairs, IP, and Innovation at Lignetics Group.
Frank has an extensive patent record including the following subjects: aromatic molecule delivery chemistries and devices; novel surfactant formulations; zeolite-based malodor capture; hydrophobic treatment of biogenic fibers; and novel super-critical carbon dioxide chemistries. During his time with Lignetics, his patent portfolio includes clumping cat litter formulations and production process; various wood flour technologies for composite applications; and a reversible lignin glass transition temperature reduction technology that allows lower temperature biomass pelletization, while maintaining durability and throughput.