GOALI: An Investigation of Depolymerization and Condensation Reactions of Lignin Under Alkaline

Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry Program in the Chemistry Division at the National Science Foundation supports Professor Raymond C. Francis at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. His research will continue to investigate the chemistry of the non-sulfur sodium hydroxide/anthraquinone process (soda/AQ or SAQ) and more specifically, why SAQ pulps are more difficult to bleach to a high brightness or whiteness. It has long been known that SAQ pulping generates 4-5 times as much coniferyl alcohol (CA) as kraft pulping. Convincing evidence has been obtained that secondary quinone methides (QMs) from CA and its degradation products causes condensation in both pulping of chips and reactions of lignin model compounds (LMCs). Vinylguaiacol (VG), a CA degradation product, condensed with monomers at its C-5 and alpha-C positions to produce trimers. VG addition to SAQ pulping increased the unbleached kappa number (lignin content) of the resulting pulp. Also, oxygen addition to SAQ pulping that would have degraded compounds such as CA and VG, improved subsequent bleachability. This proposal seeks additional funding for continued support of a PhD student and a new technician to obtain indisputable evidence that the higher generation rate of secondary QMs is responsible for the poorer bleachability of SAQ pulps and to investigate six different bleaching agents to examine their efficacy at degrading three alpha-5 condensed structures of varying hydrophobicites. Society would benefit if more energy were produced from wood and other biomass (CO2-neutral sources) and by a reduction in the emission of reduced sulfur compounds into the environment. The broader impacts of this research would directly and indirectly help to educate and train graduate students in the critical area of process modifications to increase energy and chemical production from wood and other biomass that are abundant and renewable resources. Professor Francis presently supervises three PhD and three MSc students, two of the six are black and two are female. He also graduated two females with MSc degrees in May 2008. They both obtained permanent employment, one with Georgia Pacific and the other with ConsulTech Enterprises. NSF funding would assist Professor Francis in continuing to disseminate new knowledge through publications and conferences and to attract industry support.