Lignin-Assisted Stabilization of an Oriented Liquid Crystalline Cellulosic Mesophase, Part B: Toward the Molecular...

Lignin valorization has been scarcely considered in the form of liquid crystalline polymer blends. Recently, a stabilizing effect of organosolv lignin (OSL) on the oriented mesophase of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) was observed and related to drastic improvements in tensile properties of the blends. With a view to elucidating this relaxation phenomenon, different molecular weight fractions and derivatives of organosolv lignin are synthesized, blended in solution with the liquid crystalline cellulosic polymer and analyzed in regard to their effect on the microstructural evolution of shear-aligned HPC chains. The rheological and rheo-optical investigations suggest a crucial contribution of the lower molecular weight oligomers and the phenolic hydroxy functionalities to the stabilization of the oriented cellulosic mesophase. The results provide an indication of the molecular origin and mechanism and might be of special interest for the production of anisotropic materials from liquid crystalline cellulosic polymers.