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Published on: January 7, 2019
Methylation of softwood and hardwood kraft lignins with chloromethane
Daniel Beaudoin1, Ernest Palus1, Mohan K R Konduri2
1FPInnovations - Bioproducts Innovation Centre of Excellence 570 Saint-Jean Boulevard, Pointe-Claire Québec H9R 3J9 Canada daniel.beaudoin@fpinnovations.ca.
Abstract:
Methylation is a well-established means of enhancing the thermal stability, improving the compatibility in polymer blends, and lowering the glass-transition temperature of lignins. This process normally involves reagents that are costly, associated with poor atom economy and/or highly toxic. Herein, we report the methylation of softwood and hardwood kraft lignins using chloromethane in alkaline aqueous media. This reaction proceeds in high yields at 90-110 °C under moderate pressure (40 psi) while generating environmentally benign sodium chloride and water as by-products.
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