No abstract

Here we report the synthesis of thermosetting resins from low molar mass Kraft lignin fractions of high functionality, refined by solvent extraction. Such fractions were fully characterized by P NMR, 2D-HSQC NMR, SEC, and DSC in order to obtain a detailed description of the structures. Reactive oxirane moieties were introduced on the lignin backbone under mild reaction conditions and quantified by simpleH NMR analysis. The modified fractions were chemically cross-linked with a flexible polyether diamine ( M ≈ 2000), in order to obtain epoxy thermosets. Epoxies from different lignin fractions, studied by DSC, DMA, tensile tests, and SEM, demonstrated substantial differences in terms of thermo-mechanical properties. For the first time, strong relationships between lignin structures and epoxy properties could be demonstrated. The suggested approach provides unprecedented possibilities to tune network structure and properties of thermosets based on real lignin fractions, rather than model compounds.

The polydispersity of commercially available kraft lignins (KLs) is one of the factors limiting their applications in polymer-based materials. A prerequisite is thus to develop lignin fractionation strategies compatible with industrial requirements and restrictions. For this purpose, a solvent-based lignin fractionation technique has been addressed. The partial solubility of KL in common industrial solvents compliant with the requirements of sustainable chemistry was studied, and the results were discussed in relation to Hansen solubility parameters. Based on this screening, a solvent sequence is proposed, which is able to separate well-defined KL fractions with low polydispersity