Production of useful chemicals, fuels and biopolymers from industrial lignins and other wood wastes available in Northern British Columbia

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The objective of the proposed research program is to continue developing suitable strategies for producing new high value-added products from lignins and other wood residues (or portions of each) available in British Columbia. These renewable resources are the most under-utilized yet dominant wood wastes from wood processing operations. Also, a recent glut in the world market of major commodity wood products is forcing Canada's forestry industry to be more cost competitive. Therefore, the need for developing new value-added products from these particular wood wastes is indeed pressing. Moreover, lignin's partial removal from black liquor during kraft pulping has two other very significant advantages:(1) it allows for increased pulp production in mills that are recovery boiler limited - many existing Canadian kraft mills already fall in this category; (2) it provides an option for pulping to a lower lignin content even at the same recovery boiler heat load, thereby generating substantial savings in bleaching chemicals as well as reducing effluent discharge loadings. In this research program, two approaches for developing high-value products from these wood wastes will be studied. One approach will investigate new catalytic upgrading routes with the objective of producing unprecedentedly high yields of useful fuels and chemicals. We will use two laboratory reactors (fluidized-bed and fixed-bed) separately or in tandem to study the performance of selected catalysts. For the promising route(s), the kinetics, mechanism(s), modeling, and optimum reaction conditions in terms of conversion, product yield and selectivity will be determined. The other strategy will study these waste materials (or portions of) for production of polyurethanes via solution casting, polymer blending, and other methods as appropriate. Mechanical, thermal properties and biodegradability of the new bio-plastics will be determined to develop the essential structure-property relationships. In each strategy, potential practical applications and economic benefits will be identified for the most promising products and processes.