Characterization of lignin at pre-pyrolysis temperature to investigate its melting problem

Technical lignin particles melt under relatively low temperature. This results in the problem in the continuous feeding and fluidization during lignin pyrolysis, which in turn limits its utilization on a large scale. In this study, two most available types of lignin have been used to investigate the lignin melting problem, which are Kraft lignin (KL) from pulping process and hydrolysis lignin (HL) from bio-ethanol production process. Elemental composition, thermal property and thermally decomposed derivatives of each sample are tested by elemental analyzer, TGA, DSC, and Py-GC/MS. Morphology, structure and crystal change before and after heat treatment are tested by microscopy, FTIR and XRD. All results suggest that lignin structure determines its melting properties. Kraft lignin from pulping process contains a less cross-linked structure. It melts under heating. On the other hand, hydrolysis lignin from hydrolysis process contains a highly crossed-linked and condensed structure. It does not melt before decomposition under heat treatment. Modifying lignin structure is suggested for the resolution of technical lignin melting problem.