A global trend towards sustainable industry has highlighted a need
to source energy and chemicals from renewable feed stocks. A move
to farming short-rotation lignocellulosic biomass is one solution
to the feed stock problem. However, it is also critical to use a
fractionation technology that is appropriate to the biomass type
and location. This text details doctoral research on the ethanol
organosolv process for fractionation of short-rotation willow. The
work is presented in three stages. First, the kinetics of
delignification is studied with regard to the important parameters.
The effect of prehydrolysis on subsequent organosolv pulping is
revealed. Secondly, the easy recovery of organosolv lignin is
illustrated with a novel application of flotation. The hydrophobic
nature of organosolv lignin allows easy recovery by simultaneous
precipitation and dissolved air flotation. Finally, the utility of
organosolv lignin is verified with direct replacement of phenol in
the manufacture of phenol formaldehyde resin. This text will be of
interest to process engineers studying lignocellulosic
fractionation and those in the field of lignin product development.
Alan L Macfarlane: BE, PhD, University of Auckland (UofA). Currently a post doctoral fellow at UBC, Canada. Mohammed M Farid: Professor of Chemical Engineering, UofA. Fellow of IChemE and author of 6 books. John JJ Chen: Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering, UofA. Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, IChemE and IPENZ.
