Laboratory- to Pilot-Scale Fractionation of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using an Acetone Organosolv Process

Acetone organosolv fractionation of beech and birch wood at the lab-scale results in high sugar yields from the (hemi)cellulose and the isolation of a high-purity lignin. In this study, the process is scaled up to validate the technology at the pilot scale using industrial-size beech and birch wood chips and low liquid-to-solid ratios as a next...

Reductive partial depolymerization of acetone organosolv lignin to tailor lignin molar mass, dispersity, and reactivity for polymer applications

Lignin partial depolymerization by reduction (PDR) was developed as a strategy to tailor a technical lignin’s molar mass and reduce its heterogeneity and to potentially increase the reactivity of lignin hydroxyl groups in polymer applications such as PU foams and coatings. The process aims to cleave remaining lignin β-O-4 linkages, thereby...

Tuning the Properties of Biobased PU Coatings via Selective Lignin Fractionation and Partial Depolymerization

Polyurethane (PU) coatings with high lignin content and tunable properties were made using a combination of fractionation and partial catalytic depolymerization as a novel strategy to tailor lignin molar mass and hydroxyl group reactivity, the key parameters for use in PU coatings. Acetone organosolv lignin obtained from pilot scale...