Lignin — a useful bioresource for the production of sorption-active materials.pdf

ELSEVIER Bioresource Technology 67 (1999) 221-228 blC f3C I CI t(30Y Lignin a useful bioresource for the production of sorption-active materials Tatiana Dizhbite a*, Girts Zakis a, Anna Kizima a, Elena Lazareva b, Galina Rossinskaya a, Vilhelmina Jurkjane a, Galina Telysheva a, Uldis Viesturs a aLatvian State Institute of Wood Chemistry, 27 Dzerbenes St., Riga, LV-1006, Latvia bDepartment of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Vorobevy gory, Moscow, Russia Received 20 November 1997; revised 24 June 1998; accepted 7 July 1998 Abstract Sorption characteristics of acid hydrolysis lignins, commercial by-products of wood conversion to fuel ethanol, and their nitrogen-containing derivatives have been examined to determine the most suitable areas of application of lignin-based sorbents. The results obtained have shown that the sorption capacity for organic contaminants of an aromatic nature increases significantly as a result of the modification of hydrolysis lignins with quaternary ammonium compounds. The amination of lignin with epoxy amines enhanced its sorption activity towards heavy metals. Aminolignins have a high sorption capacity for bile acids and cholesterol. Sorption properties of nitrogen-containing lignin derivatives are such that they can be proposed for use in the environment-protection field and as enterosorbents. ? 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Lignocellulose; Lignin; Sorbents; Organic contaminants; Heavy metals; Bile acids; Cholesterol 1. Introduction Lignocellulosic biomass produced by photosynthesis is an available renewable material for bioconversion to fuel, e.g. to ethanol. Bioconversion of hydrolysed ligno- cellulosics to ethanol is an extremely active field of research worldwide (Viesturs et al., 1995), recognizing that the potential of wood, straw and other lignocellu- losics as raw materials is greater than that of any other source, such as grain and even potatoes (Wayman and Parekh, 1990)