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Updated: Dec 13, 2025

Ultrafast Lignin Extraction from Unusual Mediterranean Lignocellulosic Residues
Published on: March 9, 2021
Wheat straw components fractionation, with efficient delignification, by hydrothermal treatment followed by
Jinbao Li1, Pan Feng2, Huijuan Xiu3
1Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Light Chemistry Engineering Education, Xi'an 710021, China; Shaanxi Province Key Lab of Papermaking Technology and Specialty Paper, Shaanxi University of Science & Technology, Xi'an 710021, China.
Abstract:
Lignocellulosic biomass fractionaion into its three major components is critically important for efficient feedstock utilization. The hydrothermal-ethanol method has broad application as its first step, hydrothermal treatment, provides high hemicellulose separation efficiency. However, it severely inhibits the delignification on the subsequent ethanol extraction. In this study, the second step, ethanol extraction, was facilitated by the addition of 3% NaOH and 3% H2O2, resulting in a significant improvement of lignin separation (by 48.2%). SEM, AFM, XPS, and XRD were used to characterize the surface composition of the remaining solids (crude cellulose) while the structure of isolated lignin was characterized by FT-IR, CP/MAS 13C NMR, GPC and TGA. The lignin samples isolated with both facilitated and non-facilitated ethanol extraction were compared to elucidate the lignin removal mechanism. The results showed that lignin degradation and crosslinking/polymerization occur in parallel during both the hydrothermal treatment and ethanol extraction.

