LIGNITE -LIGNIn based epoxy resins from WasTE by-products.

Lignin is an inexpensive biopolymer derived from ligno-cellulosic biomass that has great potential as a biorenewable resource for materials applications, with over 1.1 million metric tonnes currently isolated annually from the pulping processes with the main use are a dispersant applications (~67.5%) and binder/adhesive applications (~32.5%).Presently, lignin is a low value material, with almost all lignin being burned (~50 million tonnes) to generate energy. This is due to it being is a non-heterogeneous polymer that lacks a defined primary structure which contains multiple functional groups. This structure renders it insoluble in many commonly employed industrial solvents which means it is difficult to selectively functionalise to prepare advanced polymeric materials with defined structure and function.
LIGNATE will build upon recently developed patented surfactant based technology for the conversion of commercially available lignin into a reactive 'epoxy'-lignin based polymer that can potentially be derivatised with a range of 'guest' molecules to afford lignin based materials with controlled properties.