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Polymers
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Advances in Applied Lignin Research
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Advances in Applied Lignin Research

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 May 2025 | Viewed by 8504

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jost Ruwoldt

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Guest Editor
RISE PFI AS, Høgskoleringen 6B, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: biopolymers; lignin; lignosulfonates; colloid and polymer science; bio-derived materials; thermoforming of pulp; biomass conversion; chemical engineering; production chemicals; paraffin wax
Dr. Gary Chinga Carrasco

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Guest Editor
RISE PFI AS, Høgskoleringen 6B, NO-7491 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: biomaterials; biocomposites; nanotechnology; biomedical applications; 3D printing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lignin is a polyphenolic, branched biopolymer that can be found in a variety of niche applications. Due to its abundance and rich chemistry, it is considered to have promising potential. Current research is frequently motivated by sustainability concerns, featuring one or more of the following points:

  1. Replacing fossil-based chemicals and/or polymers with lignin;
  2. Developing new solutions based on lignin’s unique chemistry;
  3. Value creation for lignin rich products and by-products from biorefinery operations, which aims to improve overall utilization and economy.

This Special Issue provides a forum for applied lignin research. Submitted manuscripts should either directly or indirectly benefit the technical and industrial utilization of lignin. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Production, isolation, and purification of lignin;
  • Analytics and characterization of lignin, including technique development and method comparison;
  • Lignin-based materials, such as thermosets, thermoplastics, biocomposites, polymer blends, and carbon materials;
  • Lignin-based specialty chemicals, such as surfactants, dispersants, stabilizers, plasticizers/viscosity modifiers, flocculants, and chelating agents;
  • Lignin-derived fine and commodity chemicals, such as vanillin, pharmaceutical precursors, BTX chemicals, and other aromatics;
  • Functional surfaces that include lignin as an antioxidant, an anti-microbial coating, a UV-protective agent, etc.

Dr. Jost Ruwoldt
Dr. Gary Chinga Carrasco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • lignin
  • lignosulfonates
  • kraft lignin
  • soda lignin
  • organosolv lignin
  • biopolymers
  • biorefinery
  • characterization
  • green materials
  • green chemicals

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1932 KiB  
Article
Phenolation to Improve Hardwood Kraft Lignin for Wood Adhesive Application
by Li-Yuan Liu, Wan-Shuan Chiang, Hou-min Chang and Ting-Feng Yeh
Polymers 2024, 16(13), 1923; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16131923 - 5 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1210
Abstract
Lignins, naturally occurring aromatic polymers with phenylpropane units, are promising bio-based alternatives for petroleum-based products. Resole-type phenol formaldehyde (PF) adhesive is commonly used in wood composites requiring durability and weather-proofness. However, PF adhesive is a petroleum-based product. The objective of this study is [...] Read more.
Lignins, naturally occurring aromatic polymers with phenylpropane units, are promising bio-based alternatives for petroleum-based products. Resole-type phenol formaldehyde (PF) adhesive is commonly used in wood composites requiring durability and weather-proofness. However, PF adhesive is a petroleum-based product. The objective of this study is to transform the low-reactivity hardwood kraft lignin (KL) as the phenol substitute in the PF adhesive formulation by acidic phenolation. The variations in the molecular weights, chemical structures, and functional groups in lignins were investigated before and after the phenolation. The results indicate that the KL can be cleaved, and phenols are crosslinked onto KL to produce phenolated kraft lignin (PKL) under the suitable phenolation condition, heating 3/5 (w/w) of KL/phenol at 90 °C for 2 h with 5% H2SO4 as the catalyst. Resole-type PKL-PF adhesives can be directly synthesized after the phenolation in the same reactor. Plywood laminated with this adhesive obtains satisfactory strength and low formaldehyde emission. This not only reduces the usage of petroleum-based phenol but also increases the reactivity and applications for hardwood KL. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Applied Lignin Research)
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17 pages, 12048 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Lignin Nanoparticles from Different Plant Sources
by Isidora Ortega-Sanhueza, Victor Girard, Isabelle Ziegler-Devin, Hubert Chapuis, Nicolas Brosse, Francisca Valenzuela, Aparna Banerjee, Cecilia Fuentealba, Gustavo Cabrera-Barjas, Camilo Torres, Alejando Méndez, César Segovia and Miguel Pereira
Polymers 2024, 16(11), 1610; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16111610 - 6 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1947
Abstract
This article presents new research on producing lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) using the antisolvent nanoprecipitation method. Acetone (90%) served as the lignin solvent and water (100%) as the antisolvent, using five types of lignins from various sources. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including NMR, GPC, FTIR, [...] Read more.
This article presents new research on producing lignin nanoparticles (LNPs) using the antisolvent nanoprecipitation method. Acetone (90%) served as the lignin solvent and water (100%) as the antisolvent, using five types of lignins from various sources. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including NMR, GPC, FTIR, TEM, and DLS, were employed to assess both lignin and LNP properties. The antioxidant activity of the LNPs was evaluated as well. The results demonstrated the successful formation of spherical nanoparticles below 100 nm with initial lignin concentrations of 1 and 2%w/v. The study highlighted the crucial role of lignin purity in LNP formation and colloidal stability, noting that residual carbohydrates adversely affect efficiency. This method offers a straightforward, environmentally friendly approach using cost-effective solvents, applicable to diverse lignin sources. The innovation of this study lies in its demonstration of a cost-effective and eco-friendly method to produce stable, nanometric-sized spherical LNPs. These LNPs have significant potential as reinforcement materials due to their reinforcing capability, hydrophilicity, and UV absorption. This work underscores the importance of starting material purity for optimizing the process and achieving the desired nanometric dimensions, marking a pioneering advancement in lignin-based nanomaterials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Applied Lignin Research)
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16 pages, 7464 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Materials from Organosolv Fibers and Lignin, Kraft Fibers, and Their Blends
by Jost Ruwoldt, Gary Chinga-Carrasco and Mihaela Tanase-Opedal
Polymers 2024, 16(3), 377; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030377 - 30 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1291
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate new materials from organosolv fibers, organosolv lignin, kraft fibers, and their blends. The organosolv fibers showed reprecipitated lignin on the surface, a comparably low fiber length of 0.565 mm on average, and a high fines [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to investigate new materials from organosolv fibers, organosolv lignin, kraft fibers, and their blends. The organosolv fibers showed reprecipitated lignin on the surface, a comparably low fiber length of 0.565 mm on average, and a high fines content of 82.3%. Handsheets were formed and thermopressed at 175 °C and 50 MPa, yielding dense materials (1050–1100 kg/m3) with properties different to that of regular paper products. The thermopressing of organosolv fibers alone produced materials with similar or better tensile strength (σb = 18.6 MPa) and stiffness (E* = 2.8 GPa) to the softwood Kraft reference pulp (σb = 14.8 MPa, E* = 1.8 GPa). The surface morphology was also smoother with fewer cavities. As a result, the thermopressed organosolv fibers exhibited higher hydrophobicity (contact angle > 95°) and had the lowest overall water uptake. Combinations of Kraft fibers with organosolv fibers or organosolv lignin showed reduced wetting and a higher density than the Kraft fibers alone. Furthermore, the addition of organosolv lignin to Kraft fibers greatly improved tensile stiffness and strength (σb = 23.8 MPa, E* = 10.5 GPa), likely due to the lignin acting as a binder to the fiber network. In conclusion, new thermopressed materials were developed and tested, which show promising potential for sustainable fiber materials with improved water resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Applied Lignin Research)
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14 pages, 5575 KiB  
Article
The Effect of Sample Preparation Techniques on Lignin Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
by Fredrik Heen Blindheim and Jost Ruwoldt
Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2901; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132901 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3121
Abstract
The characterization and quantification of functional groups in technical lignins are among the chief obstacles of the utilization of this highly abundant biopolymer. Although several techniques were developed for this purpose, there is still a need for quick, cost-efficient, and reliable quantification methods [...] Read more.
The characterization and quantification of functional groups in technical lignins are among the chief obstacles of the utilization of this highly abundant biopolymer. Although several techniques were developed for this purpose, there is still a need for quick, cost-efficient, and reliable quantification methods for lignin. In this paper, three sampling techniques for fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively, delineating how these affected the resultant spectra. The attenuated total reflectance (ATR) of neat powders and DMSO-d6 solutions, as well as transmission FTIR using the KBr pelleting method (0.5 wt%), were investigated and compared for eight lignin samples. The ATR of neat lignins provided a quick and easy method, but the signal-to-noise ratios in the afforded spectra were limited. The ATR of the DMSO-d6 solutions was highly concentration dependent, but at a 30 wt%, acceptable signal-to-noise ratios were obtained, allowing for the lignins to be studied in the dissolved state. The KBr pelleting method gave a significant improvement in the smoothness and resolution of the resultant spectra compared to the ATR techniques. Subsequently, the content of phenolic OH groups was calculated from each FTIR mode, and the best correlation was seen between the transmission mode using KBr pellets and the ATR of the neat samples (R2 = 0.9995). Using the titration measurements, the total OH and the phenolic OH group content of the lignin samples were determined as well. These results were then compared to the FTIR results, which revealed an under-estimation of the phenolic OH groups from the non-aqueous potentiometric titration, which was likely due to the differences in the pKa between the lignin and the calibration standard 4-hydroxybenzoic acid. Further, a clear correlation was found between the lower Mn and the increased phenolic OH group content via SEC analyses. The work outlined in this paper give complementary views on the characterization and quantification of technical lignin samples via FTIR. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Applied Lignin Research)
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