BC Pulp and Paper Bioproducts Alliance: Upgrading black liquor lignin through fractionation and chemical modification

Lignin represents the largest reservoir of natural aromatic compounds available on earth. It is a potential substitute for a range of chemicals currently derived from petroleum, but product development and identification of market opportunities remain challenging. The objective of the research is to utilize industrial softwood kraft lignins from the black liquor of British Columbia mills, process them into uniform lignin streams with known performance specifications by fractionation and chemical modification. The outcome of the research will be to generate and characterize various grades of lignin, with different degrees of reactivity and size, offering tailored lignins to be marketed to different industrial sectors. Finally, a special emphasis will be given to identifying and leveraging any specific lignin properties that are unique to the BC resource and/or applicable to products of interest to BC industries (e.g. wood products, mining, food).

Faculty Supervisor:

Scott Renneckar;Shawn Mansfield

Student:

Partner:

Harmac Pacific (Nanaimo Forest Products);West Fraser Mills Ltd. (Quesnel);FPInnovations (Vancouver, BC)

Discipline:

Physics

Sector:

Manufacturing

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: