High Glass Transition Lignins and Lignin Derivatives for the Manufacture of Carbon and Graphite Fibers
OwnerDarren A. Baker, Omid Hosseinaeiinventors
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Abstract
High glass transition temperature lignin derivatives and methods of making the same are disclosed herein. In addition, methods for making carbon nanofibers from the lignin derivatives is also provided. The lignin derivatives disclosed herein are suitable for electrospinning and provide increased efficiency in production of carbon nanofibers. The lignin derivatives may be obtained using the methods disclosed herein from pulping processes conducted on lignin stock material.
Claims26
A composition comprising a lignin derivative derived from a lignin source material and having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of at least 130° C.
A method for making lignin derivatives from lignin source materials, the method comprising:
- washing a lignin source material with water or acidified water to generate a purified lignin portion;
- extracting the purified lignin portion with a solvent to generate a lignin derivative extract, wherein the solvent comprises methanol, methylene chloride, dimethyl formamide, dimethyl acetamide, ethanol, propanol, diethyl ether methanol, or a combination thereof;
- and
- filtering and recovering the lignin derivative extract to generate a final lignin derivative.
A method for making lignin derivatives from lignin source materials, the method comprising:
- washing a lignin source material with water or acidified water to generate a purified lignin portion;
- extracting the purified lignin portion with a first solvent to generate a first purified lower Tg lignin extract contained in the first solvent;
- filtering and recovering the first purified lignin extract to generate a lower Tg lignin derivative,
- extracting the lower Tg lignin derivative with a second solvent to generate a second lignin derivative extract;
- and
- filtering and recovering the second lignin derivative extract to generate a high Tg lignin derivative, wherein the final lignin derivative has a higher Tg than the low Tg lignin derivative.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.