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2017 | Book

Structure and Properties of Lignin Read chapter Read first chapter

Conversion of Lignin into Bio-Based Chemicals and Materials

Authors: Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian

Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Book Series : Green Chemistry and Sustainable Technology

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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About this book

This book presents an overview of various types of lignin and their unique structures and properties, as well as utilizations of crude or modified technical lignin for high-value bioproducts such as lignin-based PF resins/adhesives, epoxy resins, PF foams, PU foams, rubber reinforcement and carbon fibers and as dispersants in drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry. It subsequently discusses various thermal/chemical modification techniques (pyrolysis, direct liquefaction and de-polymerization) for converting lignin into oils and chemical feedstocks, and the utilization of crude lignin, lignin-derived oils or depolymerized lignins (DLs) of reduced molecular weights and improved reactivity to produce lignin-based PF resins/adhesives, PF/PU foams and epoxy resins.

The book will interest and benefit a broad readership (graduate students, academic researchers, industrial researchers and practitioners) in various fields of science and technology (chemical engineering, biotechnology, chemistry, material science, forestry, etc.).

Chunbao (Charles) Xu, PhD, is currently a Professor of Chemical Engineering and NSERC/FPInnovations Industrial Research Chair in Forest Biorefinery at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Fatemeh Ferdosian, PhD, is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo, Canada.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Structure and Properties of Lignin
Abstract
Lignin is a phenolic natural polymer, second only to cellulose. It can be extracted from lignocellulosic biomass through various chemical, physical, mechanical, and enzymatic treatments. The chemical structure and properties of the extracted lignin are mainly depended on the extraction method, vegetal species, location, season, etc. Based on the separation method, several types of lignin, also called technical lignin, could be obtained, including alkali lignin/kraft lignin, lignosulfonate, organosolv lignin, milled wood lignin (MWL), klason lignin, and hydrolytic lignin. The separation conditions can influence the cross-linked structure and molecular weight distributions of the technical lignin products. By far, lignin is mainly regarded waste or by-product streams from paper pulping mills and cellulosic ethanol plants with a limited application for heat and power generation. However, the abundant availability and unique structure of lignin make it a potential feedstock for the synthesis of biochemicals and biopolymers such as surfactants/dispersants, carbon fibers, phenolic resins, epoxy resins, and polyurethane resins, etc.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 2. Degradation of Lignin by Pyrolysis
Abstract
Fast pyrolysis is an efficient technique for thermal degradation of lignin to bio-oils containing bio-phenols for the synthesis of adhesives, resins, and polymers. Lignin has a complex structure, and hence a large number of pyrolytic components are generated during the pyrolysis process. The composition of the pyrolytic products depends on the type of lignin, temperature, types of catalyst, and the design of the pyrolysis reactor. It was suggested that the pyrolysis of lignin consists of two steps. In the first step, by thermal cracking of the lignin macromolecule, vapor of monomeric phenolic compounds is formed during the vapor condensation process, followed by re-oligomerization of the monomeric compounds, forming pyrolysis oils comprising remarkable amounts of dimeric and other oligomeric products. However, the precise mechanism of the pyrolysis of lignin is not clear due to the complexity of the process.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 3. Degradation of Lignin by Depolymerization
Abstract
This chapter mainly presents depolymerization of lignin to generate depolymerized lignin or oligomers with smaller molecules and higher reactivity as a potential feedstock for the synthesis of biopolymers. Depolymerization of lignin can be realized with various thermochemical methods including hydrolytic, reductive, and oxidative depolymerization. Possible mechanisms of thermal depolymerization of lignin for the generation of predominant products, and effects of operation factors such as the type of lignin, residence time, reaction temperature, concentration of catalyst, and composition of the reaction media (solvents) on the composition of the resultant products were discussed.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 4. Utilizations of Lignin for Polymer Reinforcement and Carbon Fibers
Abstract
This chapter describes the performance of lignin as a reinforcement filler for thermoplastic polymers as well as its potential as a precursor for production of carbon fibers. Literature studies show that lignin could improve the antioxidant, thermal stability, mechanical performance, UV stability, and biodegradability of various thermoplastic polymers such as natural rubber, PE, PP, SBR, PVC, and polystyrene. However, the polarity and relatively large particle size of lignin could limit its miscibility with the polymeric matrix. To overcome this challenge, it is required to modify lignin to reduce its polarity before compounding with thermoplastic polymers. In addition, lignin is a renewable source of carbon and can be utilized into carbon fibers. There are three categories of carbon fibers that incorporate lignin in the manufacturing processes: (1) carbon fibers from raw lignin without any further modification, (2) carbon fibers from physical lignin/polymer blends, and (3) carbon fibers from modified lignin.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 5. Utilization of Lignosulfonate as Dispersants or Surfactants
Abstract
Lignosulfonate or sulfonated lignin is a water-soluble lignin extracted from the sulfite pulping process. Lignosulfonate is lypohydrophilic molecule due to the hydrophobic aromatic structure and the presence of the hydrophilic sulfonate groups on its structure. This unique structure of lignosulfonate makes it an effective dispersant or surfactant used in a wide range of industries, such as oil well dispersant, coal–water slurry dispersant, dye dispersion, ceramic colloidal processing, and polymer composites.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 6. Lignin-Based Phenol–Formaldehyde (LPF) Resins/Adhesives
Abstract
This chapter presents a comprehensive overview on the synthesis of lignin-based phenol–formaldehyde (LPF) resin and its characteristics for using it as wood adhesives. Lignin has a phenolic structure with high hydrophobicity that makes it as a promising bioreplacement of phenol in the synthesis of PF resins. However, lignin has low reactivity toward formaldehyde compared with phenol due to its high molecular weight and steric hindering. To improve the reactivity of lignin, various chemical modifications such as methylolation, demethylation, phenolation, sulphonation, hydrolytic depolymerization, and reductive depolymerization were conducted on lignin before incorporation in the synthesis of lignin-based phenol–formaldehyde resins. Effects of some factors including the type of lignin, substitution ratio, and reaction conditions on the performance of the obtained LPF resins were discussed in detail.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 7. Lignin-Based Epoxy Resins
Abstract
This chapter focuses on the utilization of lignin in the production of epoxy resins. The incorporation methods of lignin in manufacture of epoxy resins can be classified into three categories: (i) physical blending of lignin and epoxy resin, (ii) pre-modification of lignin before epoxidation, and (iii) direct epoxidation of lignin. The presence of lignin in epoxy resin changes the chemistry of the resultant product and hence affects the thermal and mechanical properties of the epoxy resin. Furthermore, the curing kinetics, mechanical and thermal properties of the synthesized lignin-based epoxy resins were compared with the conventional petroleum-based epoxy resins. The results indicated that lignin could be a promising bio-replacement of bisphenol-A in the production of various epoxy resins with acceptable performance.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Chapter 8. Lignin-Based Polyurethane (PU) Resins and Foams
Abstract
This chapter overviews the production and properties of lignin-based polyurethane (LPU) for various applications such as elastomers, coatings, adhesives, flexible foams, and semi-rigid or rigid foams. Lignin with hydroxyl groups on its structure could be used as a substitute for polyol in the synthesis of polyurethane. Lignin can be incorporated in polyurethane without pre-treatment or with chemical modifications, e.g., oxypropylation, esterification, etherification reactions, and depolymerization. Chemical modifications of lignin produce modified lignin with enhanced reactivity, which enables synthesis of LPU at a higher biosubstitution ratio, and the resulted LPU products demonstrated acceptable performance in various industrial applications.
Chunbao Xu, Fatemeh Ferdosian
Metadata
Title
Conversion of Lignin into Bio-Based Chemicals and Materials
Authors
Chunbao Xu
Fatemeh Ferdosian
Copyright Year
2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN
978-3-662-54959-9
Print ISBN
978-3-662-54957-5
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-54959-9

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