Valorization of lignin through an Understanding of the Structure and Properties of Lignin-based Carbon Nanofibres

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Lignin, the second most abundant biopolymer on earth, has the potential to serve as a low cost and renewable enabling material for a wide variety of value added applications. Of the numerous lignin applications under investigation, lignin-based carbon fibre (micron level LCFs) is one of the most promising products. Lignin has been under investigation for its potential as a carbon fibre (CF) precursor since the 1960's. Since that time a variety of systems have been reported utilizing dry, wet, or melt spinning of different types of lignin and lignin/polymer blends, such as lignin/polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Depending on the species (softwood, hardwood or annual fibre), method of isolation (Kraft, sulphite, soda or other biorefinery process), and fibre processing technology (wet/dry/melt spinning, oxidation, stabilization, carbonization, etc.) various lignin-based precursors and CFs have been produced. However these micron level fibres fail to meet the performance/cost requirements for automotive structural applications. By combining the advantages of nanofibres and lignin it is believed that a new class of low cost hybrid carbon fibre and fibrous assemblies can be developed for structural applications such as automobiles composites and functional applications such as electromagnetic shields. In this program we propose to study the feasibility of producing carbon nanofibre (CNF) from lignin, lignin/polymer blends, and their lignin/nanoparticle reinforcements by the electrospinning process. The morphological, mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of the lignin-based carbon nanofibres (LCNFs) will be characterized and their potential for various applications will be assessed. The outcome of this program will demonstrate the potential of lignin-based composite CNFs as a unique engineering material, and as a result, it will establish a pathway for adding value to the abundantly available natural polymer, lignin.