THIS PROJECT WILLBUILD UPON PRELIMINARY WORK TO FURTHER DEVELOP TECHNICALLY ANDECONOMICALLY COMPELLING ROUTES FOR THE UTILIZATION OF BIOREFINERY LIGNINS AS A REPLACEMENT FORPHENOL IN PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE (PF) RESINS FOR UTILIZATION AS ADHESIVES IN ENGINEERED WOODPRODUCTS. IMPORTANTLY, WE HAVE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED THAT LIGNINS DERIVED FROM GRAMINACEOUS FEEDSTOCKS SUCH AS CORN STOVER AND SWITCHGRASS, AND ISOLATED UNDER THE PROPER CONDITIONS, CAN BEUTILIZED AS A 100% PHENOL REPLACEMENT IN PF RESINS, PRESUMABLY DUE TO THE INCORPORATION OF ESTERS OFP-COUMARATE INTO THEIR LIGNINS. AS THESE MONOMERS HAVE 2- TO 3-FOLD MORE SITES FOR INCORPORATION INTO THE RESIN POLYMER, LIGNINS DERIVED FROM GRAMINACEOUS FEEDSTOCKS OFFER UNIQUE ADVANTAGES TO FORESTRY-DERIVED LIGNINS SUCH AS KRAFT LIGNIN AND THIS PROJECT WILL EXPLOIT THIS FINDING TO DEVELOPFURTHER FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE FATE OF P-COUMARATE DURING PRETREATMENT AND LIGNIN PURIFICATION AS WELL AS VALIDATE ITS INCORPORATION INTO POLYMERIC RESIN STRUCTURES AND EXPLOIT THIS UNDERSTANDING TO DEVELOP OPTIMAL BIOBASED RESIN AND ADHESIVE FORMULATIONS.