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Lignin-Based Polymeric Materials: Properties and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 4691

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266000, China
Interests: lignin; lignin-based carbon materials; biomass conversions

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Guest Editor
College of Engineering, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: biodegradable agriculture mulching; lignocellulosic biomass; biopolymers; bioplastics; microplastics and nanoplastics; sustainable agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: polymer nanocomposites; graphene-based functional materials; biomass carbon materials; rubber reinforcement; flexible electronics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Lignin is the most abundant aromatic biological macromolecule in nature, and it has great potential to serve as a renewable feedstock for the polymer family either by direct use or after chemical modifications. Recently, works on lignin-based polymers, including their synthesis, structure analysis, applications, etc., have been developed rapidly. Therefore, there is a need to collect this cutting-edge research in a Special Issue. This Special Issue welcomes work related to lignin, with or without modification, and its molecular remodeling, modification, and structural analysis, with the purpose of using it more widely and efficiently in various applications. New application potentials of lignin-based polymers in different areas are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Wangda Qu
Prof. Dr. Qiang Li
Dr. Can Jiang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • lignin
  • polymers
  • properties
  • characterization
  • structural analysis
  • applications

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 11271 KiB  
Article
Effect of Hot-Pressing Temperature on the Properties of Eco-Friendly Fiberboard Panels Bonded with Hydrolysis Lignin and Phenol–Formaldehyde Resin
by Ivo Valchev, Viktor Savov, Ivaylo Yordanov, Stoyko Petrin and Petar Antov
Polymers 2024, 16(8), 1059; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16081059 - 11 Apr 2024
Viewed by 916
Abstract
Lignin is the natural binder in wood and lignocellulosic plants and is regarded as the main natural and renewable source of phenolic compounds. Its incorporation in the composition of fiberboards will enhance both the environmental performance of the panels and the complex use [...] Read more.
Lignin is the natural binder in wood and lignocellulosic plants and is regarded as the main natural and renewable source of phenolic compounds. Its incorporation in the composition of fiberboards will enhance both the environmental performance of the panels and the complex use of natural resources. In recent years, the increased valorization of hydrolysis lignin in value-added applications, including adhesives for bonding fiberboard panels, has gained significant research interest. Markedly, a major drawback is the retention of lignin in the pulp until the hot-pressing process. This problem could be overcome by using a small content of phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin in the adhesive mixture as an auxiliary binder. The aim of this research work was to investigate and evaluate the effect of the hot-pressing temperature, varied from 150 °C to 200 °C, in a modified hot-press cycle on the main physical and mechanical properties of fiberboard panels bonded with unmodified technical hydrolysis lignin (THL) as the main binder and PF resin as an auxiliary one. It was found that panels with very good mechanical properties can be fabricated even at a hot-pressing temperature of 160 °C, while to provide the panels with satisfactory waterproof properties, it is necessary to have a hot-pressing temperature of at least 190 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignin-Based Polymeric Materials: Properties and Applications)
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17 pages, 4523 KiB  
Article
Simulating the Rapid Devolatilization of Mineral-Free Lignins
by Stephen Niksa
Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4043; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204043 - 10 Oct 2023
Viewed by 747
Abstract
Lig-FC is a network depolymerization mechanism for the rapid primary devolatilization of mineral-free lignins that has already been validated with test data on 16 lignin samples. This paper expands the validation with an additional 13 lignins, including cases that applied different lignin [...] Read more.
Lig-FC is a network depolymerization mechanism for the rapid primary devolatilization of mineral-free lignins that has already been validated with test data on 16 lignin samples. This paper expands the validation with an additional 13 lignins, including cases that applied different lignin preparations to the same feedstock. The validations reported here cover 27 mineral-free lignins for temperatures to 1150 °C, heating rates from 30 to 8000 °C/s, contact times after heatup to 90 s, and pressures from vacuum to 0.13 MPa. Lig-FC accurately depicts the impacts of lignin quality, heating rate, temperature, contact time, and pressure on the major products and oils’ molecular weight distributions (MWDs). All raw lignins contain abundant oil precursors that are released as oils via flash distillation as soon as a flow of noncondensables carries them into the free stream. Consequently, lignin MWD is an essential aspect of lignin constitution because it determines the inventory of inherent volatile chains subject to unhindered flash distillation. Lighter lignin MWDs have larger inherent inventories and therefore produce more oils than heavier MWDs at the onset of devolatilization. Oil yields diminish and char yields increase for progressively heavier MWDs and heavier mean monomer weights and for lignins with relatively less H and more O compared to C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignin-Based Polymeric Materials: Properties and Applications)
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23 pages, 7400 KiB  
Article
Comparison Adsorption of Cd (II) onto Lignin and Polysaccharide-Based Polymers
by Elena Ungureanu, Maria E. Fortună, Denis C. Țopa, Carmen O. Brezuleanu, Vlad I. Ungureanu, Ciprian Chiruță, Razvan Rotaru, Bogdan M. Tofanica, Valentin I. Popa and Doina C. Jităreanu
Polymers 2023, 15(18), 3794; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15183794 - 17 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1912
Abstract
Given the predominantly negative impact of heavy metals on living organisms, the present study proposed to evaluate the adsorption performances under static conditions of Cd (II) from aqueous solutions on unmodified Sarkanda grass lignin compared to the adsorption performances of polysaccharide polymers chemically [...] Read more.
Given the predominantly negative impact of heavy metals on living organisms, the present study proposed to evaluate the adsorption performances under static conditions of Cd (II) from aqueous solutions on unmodified Sarkanda grass lignin compared to the adsorption performances of polysaccharide polymers chemically functionalized, obtained by synthesis and in their native state, but which, although effective, have a cost price that does not allow for large-scale expansion. To improve the retention of Cd (II) on this aromatic component of the biomass resulting from the processing of lignocellulosic materials, different experimental conditions (pH, concentration, dose and contact time) were followed. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms were used to describe the equilibrium conditions. Adsorption kinetics were assessed using the Lagergren I and Ho and McKay II kinetic models, furnishing informative insights into the process mechanism. Lignin adsorption capacity was also analyzed by performing biological tests on tomato seeds (Lypercosium esculentum), since heavy metals are known to be a stress factor for seeds by disturbing the osmotic equilibrium. Through the prism of the investigated parameters and under precisely established experimental conditions, unmodified Sarkanda grass lignin—an aromatic biopolymer—can be recommended as a promising adsorbent for the retention of Cd (II) from aqueous solutions, successfully replacing polysaccharide, especially cellulose-based polymers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lignin-Based Polymeric Materials: Properties and Applications)
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