Strategies for the Removal of Polysaccharides from Biorefinery Lignins: Process Optimization and Techno Economic Evaluation

Abstract

The utilization of biorefinery lignins as a renewable resource for the production of bio-based chemicals and materials remain a challenge because of the high polysaccharide content of this variety of lignins. This study provides two simple methods; (i) the alkaline hydrolysis-acid precipitation method and (ii) the acid hydrolysis method for the removal of polysaccharides from polymeric biorefinery lignin samples. Both purification strategies are optimized for two different hardwood hydrolysis lignins, HL1 and HL2, containing 15.1% and 10.1% of polysaccharides, respectively. The treated lignins are characterized by polysaccharide content, molecular weight, hydroxyl content, and Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Preliminary techno-economic calculations are also carried out for both purification processes to assess the economic potential of these technologies. The results indicate that both protocols could be used for the purification of HL1 and HL2 hydrolysis lignins because of the minimal polysaccharide content obtained in the treated lignins. Nevertheless, from an industrial and economic perspective the acid hydrolysis technology using low acid concentrations and high temperatures is favored over the alkaline hydrolysis-acid precipitation strategy.