Home Organosolv delignification of birch wood (Betula pendula): DMSO/water pulping optimization
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Organosolv delignification of birch wood (Betula pendula): DMSO/water pulping optimization

  • Artem Ivahnov ORCID logo , Yuliya Sypalova ORCID logo , Sergey Pokryshkin and Aleksandr Kozhevnikov ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: October 18, 2022
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Abstract

Improving the quality of cellulose semi-finished products for subsequent chemical processing in combination with the “green” concept is an important technical challenge. The article investigated a number of organic solvents as a delignifying agent. It has been shown that DMSO usage is the most efficient organosolv way to obtain cellulose from birch wood (B. pendula). The influence of the concentration of the organic solvent in the cooking liquid, the concentration of the acid catalyst, the duration and temperature of the process has been studied. The conditions for maximum process desirability at which the highest yield of cellulosic semi-finished product (CSP) and degree of delignification were as follows: 2 h treatment time at 156 °C, DMSO/water 75–95% solvent system with solid to liquid ratio of 1:10. At a concentration of DMSO in the cooking liquor of 85–90%, the degree of wood delignification was about 95%. The mechanical properties of the experimental DMSO pulp were similar to those of kraft pulp. DMSO lignin was characterized by Pyr-GC/MS. More than 65% of monomer fragments of phenolic compounds were S-unit derivatives. The results show that organosolv delignification with DMSO/Water can be proposed as an eco-friendly alternative process to the kraft pulping.


Corresponding author: Aleksandr Kozhevnikov, Core Facility Center “Arktika” Northern (Arctic) Federal University Named after M.V. Lomonosov, Northern Dvina Emb., 17, Arkhangelsk 163002, Russia, E-mail:

Award Identifier / Grant number: 22-13-20015

Acknowledgments

This research was performed using instrumentation of Core Facility Center “Arktika” of Northern (Arctic) Federal University.

  1. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: This study was funded by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF), project no. 22-13-20015. “The study of structural features and structural transformations of lignins during the various methods of delignification.”

  3. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

References

Anderson, E.M., Katahira, R., Reed, M., Resch, M.G., Karp, E.M., Beckham, G.T., and Román-Leshkov, Y. (2016). Reductive catalytic fractionation of corn stover lignin. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 4: 6940–6950, https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.6b01858.Search in Google Scholar

Anderson, E.M., Stone, M.L., Katahira, R., Reed, M., Muchero, W., Ramirez, K.J., Beckham, G.T., and Román-Leshkov, Y. (2019). Differences in S/G ratio in natural poplar variants do not predict catalytic depolymerization monomer yields. Nat. Commun. 10: 1–10, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09986-1.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

Avelino, F., da Silva, K.T., de Souza, M.D.S.M., Mazzetto, S.E., and Lomonaco, D. (2018). Microwave-assisted organosolv extraction of coconut shell lignin by Brønsted and Lewis acids catalysts. J. Clean. Prod. 189: 785–796, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.126.Search in Google Scholar

Banu, J.R., Kavitha, S., Kannah, R.Y., Devi, T.P., Gunasekaran, M., Kim, S.H., and Kumar, G. (2019). A review on biopolymer production via lignin valorization. Bioresour. Technol. 290: 121790, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121790.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Browning, B.L. (1967). Methods of wood chemistry, Vol. II. Interscience Publishers, New York.Search in Google Scholar

Cao, Y., Chen, S.S., Zhang, S., Ok, Y.S., Matsagar, B.M., Wu, K.C.W., and Tsang, D.C. (2019). Advances in lignin valorization towards bio-based chemicals and fuels: lignin biorefinery. Bioresour. Technol. 291: 121878, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2019.121878.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Chen, J., Tan, X., Miao, C., Zhang, Y., Yuan, Z., and Zhuang, X. (2021). A one-step deconstruction-separation organosolv fractionation of lignocellulosic biomass using acetone/phenoxyethanol/water ternary solvent system. Bioresour. Technol. 342: 125963, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125963.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Dornelles, L.B., Maciel Filho, R., and Mariano, A.P. (2021). Organosolv fractionation of eucalyptus: economics of cellulosic ethanol and chemicals versus lignin valorization to phenols and polyols. Ind. Crop. Prod. 173: 114097, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.114097.Search in Google Scholar

Gendron, J., Stambouli, I., Bruel, C., Boumghar, Y., and Montplaisir, D. (2022). Characterization of different types of lignin and their potential use in green adhesives. Ind. Crop. Prod. 182: 114893, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.114893.Search in Google Scholar

Gil-Chávez, J., Gurikov, P., Hu, X., Meyer, R., Reynolds, W., and Smirnova, I. (2021). Application of novel and technical lignins in food and pharmaceutical industries: structure-function relationship and current challenges. Biomass Convers. Biorefin. 11: 2387–2403, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-019-00458-6.Search in Google Scholar

Lavrič, G., Zamljen, A., Juhant Grkman, J., Jasiukaitytė-Grojzdek, E., Grilc, M., Likozar, B., Gregor-Svetec, D., and Vrabič-Brodnjak, U. (2021). Organosolv lignin barrier paper coatings from waste biomass resources. Polymers 13: 4443, https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13244443.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

Monção, M., Hrůzová, K., Rova, U., Matsakas, L., and Christakopoulos, P. (2021). Organosolv fractionation of birch sawdust: establishing a lignin-first biorefinery. Molecules 26: 6754, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26216754.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

Nitzsche, R., Gröngröft, A., Köchermann, J., Meisel, K., Etzold, H., Verges, M., Leschinsky, M., Bachmann, J., Saake, B., Unkelbach, G., et al.. (2021). Platform and fine chemicals from woody biomass: demonstration and assessment of a novel biorefinery. Biomass Convers. Biorefin. 11: 2369–2385, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00769-z.Search in Google Scholar

Pals, M., Lauberts, M., Zijlstra, D.S., Ponomarenko, J., Arshanitsa, A., and Deuss, P.J. (2022). Mild organosolv delignification of residual aspen bark after extractives isolation as a step in biorefinery processing schemes. Molecules 27: 3185, https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27103185.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

Paone, E., Tabanelli, T., and Mauriello, F. (2020). The rise of lignin biorefinery. Curr. Opin. Green Sustainable Chem. 24: 1–6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2019.11.004.Search in Google Scholar

Parot, M., Rodrigue, D., and Stevanovic, T. (2022). High purity softwood lignin obtained by an eco-friendly organosolv process. Bioresour. Technol. Rep. 17: 100880, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2021.100880.Search in Google Scholar

Ragauskas, A.J., Beckham, G.T., Biddy, M.J., Chandra, R., Chen, F., Davis, M.F., Davison, B.H., Dixon, R.A., Gilna, P., Wyman, C.E., et al.. (2014). Lignin valorization: improving lignin processing in the biorefinery. Science 344: 1246843, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1246843.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Raikwar, D., Majumdar, S., and Shee, D. (2021). Effects of solvents in the depolymerization of lignin into value-added products: a review. Biomass Convers. Biorefin.: 1–34, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-02030-7.Search in Google Scholar

Shareef, A., Tahir, M., Bhutto, S., and Khan, N. (2017). Catalytic reduction of wood kikar (Acacia albida) by acetosolv and organosolv pulping with organic acids. Pak. J. Sci. Ind. Res., Ser. A 60: 141–146, https://doi.org/10.52763/pjsir.phys.sci.60.3.2017.141.146.Search in Google Scholar

Shuai, L., Sitison, J., Sadula, S., Ding, J., Thies, M.C., and Saha, B. (2018). Selective C–C bond cleavage of methylene-linked lignin models and kraft lignin. ACS Catal. 8: 6507–6512, https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.8b00200.Search in Google Scholar

Tapia-Maruri, D., Evangelista-Lozano, S., Alamilla-Beltrán, L., Camacho-Díaz, B.H., Ávila-Reyes, S.V., Villalobos-Espinosa, J.D.C., and Jiménez-Aparicio, A.R. (2022). Comparative evaluation of the thermal, structural, chemical and morphological properties of bagasse from the leaf and fruit of Bromelia hemisphaerica Lam. Delignified by Organosolv. Appl. Sci. 12: 3761, https://doi.org/10.3390/app12083761.Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2001a). Physical testing of pulp handsheets (T 220 sp-01).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2001b). Tensile breaking properties of paper and paperboard (T 494 om-01).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2002a). Acid-insoluble lignin in wood and pulp (T 222 om-02).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2002b). Forming handsheets for physical test of pulp (T 205 sp-02).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2006). Kappa number of pulp (T 236 om-06).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2009a). Alpha-, beta- and gamma-cellulose in pulp (T 203 cm-22).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2009b). Copper number of pulp, paper, and paperboard (T 430 cm-09).Search in Google Scholar

TAPPI standard (2012). Sampling and preparation of wood for analysis (T 257 cm-12).Search in Google Scholar

Wang, W. and Lee, D.J. (2021). Lignocellulosic biomass pretreatment by deep eutectic solvents on lignin extraction and saccharification enhancement: a review. Bioresour. Technol. 339: 125587, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125587.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Zhang, C., Ma, C.Y., Xu, L.H., Wu, Y.Y., and Wen, J.L. (2021). The effects of mild Lewis acids-catalyzed ethanol pretreatment on the structural variations of lignin and cellulose conversion in balsa wood. Int. J. Biol. Macromol. 183: 1362–1370, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2021.05.091.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Zhang, W., Liu, J., Wang, Y., Sun, J., Huang, P., and Chang, K. (2021). Effect of ultrasound on ionic liquid-hydrochloric acid pretreatment with rice straw. Biomass Convers. Biorefin. 11: 1749–1757, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-019-00595-y.Search in Google Scholar

Zhao, Z., Chen, X., Ali, M.F., Abdeltawab, A.A., Yakout, S.M., and Yu, G. (2018). Pretreatment of wheat straw using basic ethanolamine-based deep eutectic solvents for improving enzymatic hydrolysis. Bioresour. Technol. 263: 325–333, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2018.05.016.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

Zhou, N., Thilakarathna, W.P.D.W., He, Q.S., and Rupasinghe, H.P.V. (2022). A review: depolymerization of lignin to generate high-value bio-products: opportunities, challenges, and prospects. Front. Energy Res. 9: 758744, https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2021.758744.Search in Google Scholar


Supplementary Material

The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/hf-2022-0113).


Received: 2022-06-30
Accepted: 2022-10-06
Published Online: 2022-10-18
Published in Print: 2022-12-16

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Downloaded on 26.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/hf-2022-0113/html
Scroll to top button