Lignin Profiling: A Guide for Selecting Appropriate Lignins as Precursors in Biomaterials Development

A number of industrial and technical lignins from forestry and agriculture were extracted by different chemical pulping processes and characterized by evaluating their physical and chemical properties. Several qualitative and quantitative methods were performed to elucidate lignin profiles and their potentials as substitutes for use in biobased products. The morphology, molecular weight distributions, elemental compositions, glass transition temperature, and several important functional groups containing hydroxyl units such as phenolic, aliphatic, and carboxylic acid were classified and their contents were determined quantitatively by employing 31P NMR spectroscopy. The emerging information is relevant to pressing scientific development issues for value-added applications from lignins during industrial production of biomaterials.