Strategies for the Removal of Polysaccharides from Biorefinery Lignins: Process Optimization and Techno Economic Evaluation
Open Access
- 1 June 2021
- Vol. 26 (11), 3324
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26113324
Abstract
The utilization of biorefinery lignins as a renewable resource for the production of bio-based chemicals and materials remain a challenge because of the high polysaccharide content of this variety of lignins. This study provides two simple methods; (i) the alkaline hydrolysis-acid precipitation method and (ii) the acid hydrolysis method for the removal of polysaccharides from polymeric biorefinery lignin samples. Both purification strategies are optimized for two different hardwood hydrolysis lignins, HL1 and HL2, containing 15.1% and 10.1% of polysaccharides, respectively. The treated lignins are characterized by polysaccharide content, molecular weight, hydroxyl content, and Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Preliminary techno-economic calculations are also carried out for both purification processes to assess the economic potential of these technologies. The results indicate that both protocols could be used for the purification of HL1 and HL2 hydrolysis lignins because of the minimal polysaccharide content obtained in the treated lignins. Nevertheless, from an industrial and economic perspective the acid hydrolysis technology using low acid concentrations and high temperatures is favored over the alkaline hydrolysis-acid precipitation strategy.Keywords
Funding Information
- Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (HBC.2018.0481)
This publication has 34 references indexed in Scilit:
- Effects of an alkali-acid purification process on the characteristics of eucalyptus lignin fractionated from a MIBK-based organosolv processRSC Advances, 2016
- Lignin‐Based Thermoplastic MaterialsChemSusChem, 2016
- Purification, Structural Characterization, and Modification of Organosolv Wheat Straw LigninJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2015
- Purification and characterization of kraft ligninHolzforschung, 2014
- Carbohydrate elimination of alkaline-extracted lignin liquor by steam explosion and its methylolation for substitution of phenolic adhesiveIndustrial Crops and Products, 2014
- The Purification of Industrial Alkali Lignin with XylanaseAdvanced Materials Research, 2014
- Factors affecting lignin solubilityRussian Journal of Applied Chemistry, 2011
- Thermochemical transformations of hydrolysis ligninRussian Journal of Applied Chemistry, 2010
- Sulfonation of Alkali Lignin and Its Potential Use in Dispersant for CementJournal of Dispersion Science and Technology, 2009
- Lignin–carbohydrate complexes from sugarcane bagasse: Preparation, purification, and characterizationCarbohydrate Polymers, 2005