Lignin from Biomass − Sources, Extraction, and Application

Irwan Kurnia, Surachai Karnjanakom, Guoqing Guan
https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527839032.ch3

Abstract

Lignin is considered the second-most abundant renewable resource after cellulose and can be extracted from lignocellulosic biomass. The chemical structure and the properties of lignin are generally affected by the extraction processes. These processes include alkaline, solvent-assisted, acidic, enzymatic, and physical-assisted processes. Lignin is mostly produced as a byproduct, particularly in paper and pulping industries and in biorefinery processes. In general, lignin is used for heat and power generation, which always generate serious environmental pollutes in the case of incomplete combustion. As an alternative, lignin can be converted to value-added chemicals or materials through thermochemical or biochemical conversion methods. The nano-scale dimension of lignin-derived materials provides various benefits such as high accessibility with anchoring sites, high surface area, excellent electrical properties, and good biocompatibility. Therefore, lignin-derived products are promising for biomedical and electrochemical applications. In this chapter, the lignin source selection, extraction method, and its applications are introduced and discussed.

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