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Pure Lignin
Environmental Technology

Phone Numbers:
Office: (250) 769-8006

E-mail: Contact Form

Office Address:
2360 Boucherie Rd.
Kelowna B.C. V1Z-2E6

Lignin

Lignins are derived from an abundant and renewable resource: trees, plants, and agricultural crops. Because lignins are very complex natural polymers with many random couplings, the exact chemical structure is not well known. Lignin is nontoxic and an extremely versatile product for use in industrial and food processing industries. Currently, Lignin is produced mainly as a byproduct of the paper industry, separated from trees by a chemical pulping process.

The physical and chemical properties differ depending on the extraction method. For example, lignosulfonates are hydrophilic and will dissolve in water. These lignins are products of sulfite pulping. Kraft lignins are hydrophobic and will not dissolve in water. Kraft lignins are obtained from the Kraft pulping process. Other technologies use an organic solvent or a high-pressure steam treatment to remove lignins from plants. The usefulness of commercial lignosulfonates products comes from their dispersing, binding, complexing and emulsifying properties. Lignosulfonates have found applications as a raw material in the production of vanillin. Vanillin is widely used as an ingredient in food flavors, in pharmaceuticals and as a fragrance in perfumes and odor-masking products.

An article released by the U.S. National Center for Environmental Research states that the U.S. produces some 26 million tons of lignin each year but as to the quality they find that: ”Despite the judicious schemes devised for fractionating and derivatizing the lignin preparations employed, the optimum lignin contents in these polymeric materials have typically fallen in a range of 25 to 40%.”

Even in this low grade form of Lignin is a highly consumed product with a large number of uses. The University of Minnesota has conducted studies on using Lignin to create the first biodegradable plastic but could not find a source pure enough to make the process financially viable. Other research suggests that because Lignin has the capacity to produce hydrocarbons, it is likely to become a crude oil substitute. With further research these are real new opportunities.

The value of Lignin per ton is normally twice that of pulp even in such low quality. Test results to date have shown that as a by-product of making cellulose, the Company’s NCRP plant produces an 83% pure lignin that contains 17% impurities, the purest lignin produced in the world. The Company believes that with a simple washing process the lignin can reach a purity level between 95% and 99%. The Lignin Institute of Atlanta, Georgia is just one party that has expressed serious interest in all of the Company’s Lignin. The Company will become a major international supplier of lignin.

Currently, lignin serves the following purposes:

Lignin as a Binder

Lignosulfonates are a very effective and economical adhesive, acting as a binding agent or “glue” in pellets or compressed materials. Lignosulfonates used on unpaved roads reduce environmental concerns from airborne dust particles and stabilize the road surface. This binding ability makes it a useful component of:

Biodegradable Plastic
Coal briquettes
Plywood & particle board
Ceramics
Animal feed pellets
Carbon black
Fiberglass insulation
Fertilizers and herbicides linoleum paste
Dust suppressants
Soil stabilizers

Lignin as a Dispersant

Lignosulfonate prevents the clumping and settling of undissolved particles in suspensions. By attaching to the particle surface, it keeps the particle from being attracted to other particles and reduces the amount of water needed to use the product effectively. The dispersing property makes lignosulfonate useful in:

Cement mixes
Leather tanning
Clay and ceramics
Concrete admixtures
Dyes and pigments
Gypsum board
Oil drilling muds
Pesticides and insecticides

Lignin as an Emulsifier

Lignosulfonate stabilizes emulsions of immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, making them highly resistant to breaking. Lignosulfonates are at work as emulsifiers in:

Asphalt emulsions
Pesticides
Pigments and dyes
Wax emulsions

Lignin as a Sequestrant

Lignosulfonates can tie up metal ions, preventing them from reacting with other compounds and becoming insoluble. Metal ions sequestered with lignosulfonates stay dissolved in solution, keeping them available to plants and preventing scaly deposits in water systems. As a result, they are used in:

Micronutrient systems
Cleaning compounds
Water treatments for boilers and cooling systems