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Green solvents-based molecular weight controllable fractionation process for industrial alkali lignin at room
Huiqi Jin1, Haiqiang Shi1, Wenchao Jia1
1Liaoning Key Laboratory of Lignocellulose chemistry and Biomaterials, College of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China; Liaoning Collaborative Innovation Center for Lignocellulosic Biorefinery, College of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian 116034, China.
Abstract:
The molecular weight is one of the most important factors influencing the utilization of industrial lignin obtained from chemical pulping process. In this paper, a facile operative green solvent system was successfully developed for molecular weight-controllable fractionation of industrial alkali lignin (IAL) at room temperature. The results showed that through adjusting the ratio of water, ethanol and γ-Valerolactone (GVL), the industrial lignin was fractionated into six levels with molecular weight stepwise controllable from low to high. The fractionation is a physical process according to FTIR and 2D-HSQC NMR analysis, and the chemical structure of lignin has not changed. Additionally, the polydispersity of fractionated lignin with higher molecular weight tends to be narrower. The content of hydroxyl and carboxyl group is higher for the fractionated lignin with lower molecular weight, which would be beneficial for the chemical reactivity in the down-stream application.
