1. Reductive Catalytic Depolymerization of Semi-industrial Wood-Based Lignin
- Author
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Patrik Eklund, Kari Eränen, Xiaojia Lu, Lucas Lagerquist, Jarl Hemming, Sébastien Leveneur, Lionel Estel, Henrik Grénman, Université de Rouen Normandie (UNIROUEN), Normandie Université (NU), Laboratoire de Sécurité des Procédés Chimiques (LSPC), Normandie Université (NU)-Normandie Université (NU)-Institut national des sciences appliquées Rouen Normandie (INSA Rouen Normandie), and Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Normandie Université (NU)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)
- Subjects
Chemistry ,Depolymerization ,General Chemical Engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,General Chemistry ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,01 natural sciences ,7. Clean energy ,Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering ,Article ,0104 chemical sciences ,12. Responsible consumption ,Catalysis ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,[CHIM.GENI]Chemical Sciences/Chemical engineering ,Organic chemistry ,Lignin ,0210 nano-technology ,ComputingMilieux_MISCELLANEOUS - Abstract
The current work studies the reductive catalytic depolymerization (RCD) of lignin from a novel semi-industrial process. The aim was to obtain aromatic mono-, di-, tri-, and tetramers for further valorization. The substrate and products were characterized by multiple analytical methods, including high pressure size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, GC-flame ionization detector (FID), GC-FID/thermal conductivity detector (TCD), and NMR. The RCD was studied by exploring the influence of different parameters, such as lignin solubility, reaction time, hydrogen pressure, reaction temperature, pH, type and loading of the catalyst, as well as type and composition of the organic/aqueous solvent. The results show that an elevated temperature, a redox catalyst, and a hydrogen atmosphere are essential for the depolymerization and stability of the products, while the reaction medium also plays an important role. The highest obtained mono- to tetramers yield was 98% and mono- to dimers yield over 85% in the liquid phase products. The reaction mechanisms influenced the structure of the aliphatic chain in the monomers, but left the phenolic structure along with the methoxy groups largely unaltered. The current work contributes to the development and debottlenecking of the novel and sustainable overall process, which utilizes efficiently all the fractions of wood, in line with the principles of green engineering and chemistry.
- Published
- 2021
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