Chemical structure and thermal properties of lignin modified with polyethylene glycol during steam explosion

Published Date

Original

First Online: 

08 October 2016

DOI: 10.1007/s00226-016-0870-9

Cite this article as: 

Feng, Y., Lan, J., Ma, P. et al. Wood Sci Technol (2016). doi:10.1007/s00226-016-0870-9

Author

• Yanhong FengEmail author
• Junshan Lan
• Pengtao Ma
• Xiaolong Dong
• Jinping Qu
• Hezhi He

Abstract

Thermoplastic processing of lignin is restricted by its high glass transition temperature (Tg). In this study, lignin was modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) during steam explosion to improve its thermoplastic properties, and the effects of steam explosion and PEG on the chemical structure and thermal properties of lignin were investigated. Structure characterization using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that hydroxyl and ether functional groups increased and the activity of lignin was improved by steam explosion. In addition, steam explosion treatment was more effective than heat treatment for promoting the reaction of PEG with lignin. Solid-state 13C NMR revealed that PEG was grafted onto lignin. The Tg of raw lignin was 164.1 °C; after steam explosion, lignin exhibited more than one Tgs. The Tg of lignin was reduced when the steam explosion temperature increased and decreased further, to around 60 °C, when PEG was used to modify lignin. Therefore, this work provides an effective approach to reducing the high Tg of lignin.

References

1. Bouajila J, Dole P, Joly C, Limare A (2006) Some laws of a lignin plasticization. J Appl Polym Sci 102:1445–1451CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2. Brugnago RJ, Satyanarayana KG, Wypych F, Ramos LP (2011) The effect of steam explosion on the production of sugarcane bagasse/polyester composites. Compos Part A Appl Sci Manuf 42:364–370CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Chahar S, Dastidar MG, Choudhary V, Sharma DK (2004) Synthesis and characterisation of polyurethanes derived from waste black liquor lignin. J Adhes Sci Technol 18:169–179CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Cui CZ, Sadeghifar H, Sen S, Argyropoulos DS (2013) Toward thermoplastic lignin polymers; part II: thermal & polymer characteristics of kraft lignin & derivatives. BioResources 8:864–886Google Scholar
5. Deepa B, Abraham E, Cherian BM, Bismarck A, Blaker JJ, Pothan LA, Leao AL, de Souza SF, Kottaisamy M (2011) Structure, morphology and thermal characteristics of banana nano fibers obtained by steam explosion. Bioresour Technol 102:1988–1997CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
6. Effendi A, Gerhauser H, Bridgwater AV (2008) Production of renewable phenolic resins by thermochemical conversion of biomass: a review. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 12:2092–2116CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. El Mansouri NE, Salvado J (2006) Structural characterization of technical lignins for the production of adhesives: application to lignosulfonate, kraft, soda-anthraquinone, organosolv and ethanol process lignins. Ind Crop Prod 24:8–16CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. El-Wakil NA (2009) Use of lignin strengthened with modified wheat gluten in biodegradable composites. J Appl Polym Sci 113:793–801CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Hilburg SL, Elder AN, Chung H, Ferebee RL, Bockstaller MR, Washburn NR (2014) A universal route towards thermoplastic lignin composites with improved mechanical properties. Polymer 55:995–1003CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Kadla JF, Kubo S (2003) Miscibility and hydrogen bonding in blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and kraft lignin. Macromolecules 36:7803–7811CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Kadla JF, Kubo S, Venditti RA, Gilbert RD, Compere AL, Griffith W (2002) Lignin-based carbon fibers for composite fiber applications. Carbon 40:2913–2920CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Kubo S, Kadla JF (2005) Kraft lignin/poly(ethylene oxide) blends: effect of lignin structure on miscibility and hydrogen bonding. J Appl Polym Sci 98:1437–1444CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13. Laurichesse S, Averous L (2014) Chemical modification of lignins: towards biobased polymers. Prog Polym Sci 39:1266–1290CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Li Y, Sarkanen S (2005) Miscible blends of kraft lignin derivatives with low-Tg polymers. Macromolecules 38:2296–2306CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15. Li JB, Henriksson G, Gellerstedt G (2007) Lignin depolymerization/repolymerization and its critical role for delignification of aspen wood by steam explosion. Bioresour Technol 98:3061–3068CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
16. Lin J, Kubo S, Yamada T, Koda K, Uraki Y (2012) Chemical thermostabilization for the preparation of carbon fibers from softwood lignin. BioResources 7:5634–5646Google Scholar
17. Lisperguer J, Perez P, Urizar S (2009) Structure and thermal properties of lignins: characterization by infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. J Chil Chem Soc 54:460–463CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Lorthioir C, Laupretre F, Soulestin J, Lefebvre JM (2009) Segmental dynamics of poly(ethylene oxide) chains in a model polymer/clay intercalated phase: solid-state NMR investigation. Macromolecules 42:218–230CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Martinez AT, Almendros G, Gonzalez-Vila FJ, Frund R (1999) Solid-state spectroscopic analysis of lignins from several Austral hardwoods. Solid State Nucl Magn Reson 15:41–48CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
20. Martin-Sampedro R, Capanema EA, Hoeger I, Villar JC, Rojas OJ (2011) Lignin changes after steam explosion and laccase–mediator treatment of eucalyptus wood chips. J Agric Food Chem 59:8761–8769CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
21. Pucciariello R, Villani V, Bonini C, D’Auria M, Vetere T (2004) Physical properties of straw lignin-based polymer blends. Polymer 45:4159–4169CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22. Rahman MA, De Santis D, Spagnoli G, Ramorino G, Penco M, Phuong VT, Lazzeri A (2013) Biocomposites based on lignin and plasticized poly(l-lactic acid). J Appl Polym Sci 129:202–214CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23. Robert D, Bardet M, Lapierre C, Gellerstedt G (1988) Structural changes in aspen lignin during steam explosion treatment. Cellul Chem Technol 22:221–230Google Scholar
24. Sadeghifar H, Cui CZ, Argyropoulos DS (2012) Toward thermoplastic lignin polymers. Part 1. Selective masking of phenolic hydroxyl groups in kraft lignins via methylation and oxypropylation chemistries. Ind Eng Chem Res 51:16713–16720CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Saito T, Brown RH, Hunt MA, Pickel DL, Pickel JM, Messman JM, Baker FS, Keller M, Naskar AK (2012) Turning renewable resources into value-added polymer: development of lignin-based thermoplastic. Green Chem 14:3295–3303CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26. Sipos B, Szilagyi M, Sebestyen Z, Perazzini R, Dienes D, Jakab E, Crestini C, Reczey K (2011) Mechanism of the positive effect of poly(ethylene glycol) addition in enzymatic hydrolysis of steam pretreated lignocelluloses. C R Biol 334:812–823CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
27. Spevacek J, Baldrian J (2008) Solid-state C-13 NMR and SAXS characterization of the amorphous phase in low-molecular weight poly(ethylene oxide)s. Eur Polym J 44:4146–4150CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28. Tejado A, Pena C, Labidi J, Echeverria JM, Mondragon I (2007) Physico-chemical characterization of lignins from different sources for use in phenol-formaldehyde resin synthesis. Bioresour Technol 98:1655–1663CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
29. Zimbardi F, Ricci E, Braccio G (2002) Technoeconomic study on steam explosion application in biomass processing. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 98:89–99CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar

For further details log on website :
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00226-016-0845-x