Production of phenol compounds by alkaline treatment of technical hydrolysis lignin and wood biomass

Aqueous alkaline depolymerization of technical hydrolysis lignin (THL) was carried out with a 5% NaOH solution at a temperature of 180 degrees C for 6 hours, the ratio between the biomass and depolymerizing agent being 1:8. The poplar wood sawdust was treated under the same conditions for 2 hours, where anthraquinone was added as a catalyst (0.5 wt %). The poplar wood bark was treated for 4 hours, without anthraquinone. Compounds contained in the aqueous phase were extracted three times by means of toluene for a ratio between the organic and aqueous phases equal to 1:5, 1:5 and 1:5. The compounds 2-methoxyphenol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, 1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)ethanone, 4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzaldehyde, etc., were identified through GC-MS analysis in obtained extracts.