Science call 2019 Kohlhuber
Abstract
Lignin is the most common renewable aromatic biopolymer. The molecule is still undergoing significant changes through various industrial conversion processes of wood or annual plants in the pulp and paper industry. As a result, lignin is obtained in large quantities and chemically modified form as "technical lignin". At present, an annual production of approx. 70 million tons worldwide is assumed. Despite large-scale availability, over 95% of the lignin obtained is used for energy production. As a result of the energy obtained and returned from this process, processes in the pulp and paper industry are considered to be largely energy self-sufficient. The discrepancy between availability and the very limited real use of lignin has posed a major challenge for academic and industrial research for decades - with varying degrees of intensity and success. Due to a worldwide rethinking, caused by the climate crisis and increasing carbon dioxide emissions, a clear trend towards a sustainable use of raw materials and a bio-economic overall design of various processes is becoming apparent. As a result, lignin has gained new momentum as a source of raw materials and is considered a "key player" in the substitution of petroleum-based raw materials and materials by renewable raw materials. This can be seen from the increase in research intensity and the resulting exponential growth of lignin patents in recent years. However, the implementation of existing, undoubtedly practicable ideas and their large-scale applications is progressing much more slowly. Therefore the question arises whether and why we are not yet able to fully understand and use technical lignins analogous to cellulose or petroleum? While we have had process chains for cellulose and its products for more than a hundred years to produce cellulose-based products such as paper, fibers or other derivatives, lignin is merely a waste product. Its high energetic value has been used thanks to the positive energy balance of the processes, but has otherwise only found a real material application as a niche product (lignosulfonate). Through processes such as Lignoboost (Thomani, 2009), which are already available and in use on a large scale, the isolation of technical lignins from the waste liquors of the kraft pulp process has become possible and makes technical lignin available for further processing practically worldwide.
Publikationen
Project staff
Antje Potthast
Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Chem. Dr.rer.nat. Antje Potthast
antje.potthast@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-77412, 77471
Project Leader
01.11.2020 - 31.10.2023
Nadine Kohlhuber
Nadine Kohlhuber B.Sc.
nadine.kohlhuber@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-77438
Project Staff
01.11.2020 - 31.10.2023