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Updated: Jan 26, 2026
10:18
Extraction of Lignin with High β-O-4 Content by Mild Ethanol Extraction and Its Effect on the Depolymerization Yield
Published on: January 7, 2019
21.8K
Lignin Phenol Formaldehyde Resoles Using Base-Catalysed Depolymerized Kraft Lignin
Pia Solt1,2, Björn Rößiger3, Johannes Konnerth4
1Wood K plus-Competence Center of Wood Composites and Wood Chemistry, Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH, Altenberger Str. 69, A-4040 Linz, Austria. p.solt@kplus-wood.at.
Polymers
|April 10, 2019
Summary
Modified lignin-based phenolic compounds can replace phenol in resins, maintaining performance even at high substitution levels. These bio-based alternatives offer comparable adhesive strength to traditional phenol formaldehyde resins.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Phenolic resins, like phenol formaldehyde (PF), are widely used adhesives.
- Lignin, a renewable resource, is an abundant source of phenolic compounds.
- Valorization of lignin into high-performance materials is crucial for a circular economy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize lignin phenol formaldehyde (LPF) resols using depolymerized lignin fractions.
- To evaluate the adhesive properties of these novel LPF resins as phenol substitutes.
- To compare the performance of LPF resins with depolymerized lignin to those with untreated lignin and PF resins.
Main Methods:
- Softwood kraft lignin was base-catalysed degraded to obtain monomeric-rich (BCD-oil) and oligomeric (BCD-oligomers) fractions.
- These depolymerized lignin building blocks substituted phenol in PF resin synthesis at 50-70 wt %.
- Resins were characterized for viscosity, free formaldehyde/phenol content, chemical composition, curing, and bonding behavior.
Main Results:
- LPF resins with BCD-oligomers showed increased viscosity and maintained bonding strength with higher lignin content.
- LPF resins with BCD-oil exhibited reduced viscosity and bonding strength.
- LPF-BCD-oil resins displayed similar curing behavior and ultimate strength to reference LPF resins.
- Adhesive bonds from LPF-BCD-oligomers matched the strength of PF reference resins.
Conclusions:
- Modified renewable lignin-based phenolic components can effectively substitute phenol in phenolic resins.
- Depolymerized lignin, particularly oligomeric fractions, enables high-performance LPF resins with up to 70% substitution.
- These lignin-based phenolic resins present a sustainable and equally performing alternative to conventional PF resins.
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