Characterization of autohydrolysis aspen (P. tremuloides) lignins. Part 4. Residual autohydrolysis lignin

Abstract

Lignocellulosic residue remaining after autohydrolysis of extractive-free aspen wood meal at 195 °C for periods of time varying from 5 to 120 min followed by extraction with 90% dioxane was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis to obtain residual lignin. Infrared studies indicated that in the early stages of autohydrolysis residual lignin resembles protolignin, but as autohydrolysis proceeds it changes to resemble more and more the extracted lignin. Residual lignin was found to be higher in carbon but lower in hydrogen and oxygen than aspen milled wood lignin. The methoxyl content was also lower than the reference lignin. From alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation, residual lignin is seen to become more condensed with increasing autohydrolysis time. The insolubility of residual lignin is attributed to the existence of strong bonds between this lignin and carbohydrate.