Process development for the production of lignin based flocculants and dispersants

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The requested CRD grant will support a research collaboration between Dr. Pedram Fatehi of Lakehead University and Dr. Michael Paleologou of FPInnovations. The team will make extensive use of kraft lignin samples produced at FPInnovations' lignin pilot plant in Pointe Claire, QC, FPInnovations' lignin demonstration plant in Thunder Bay, ON and at West Fraser's commercial lignin plant in Hinton, AB, as the raw materials of this research program. Recently, FPInnovations developed the LignoForce process for the production of high-quality kraft lignin from the black liquor of kraft pulping process. This process is now commercialized at West Fraser's Hinton mill in Alberta. The commercialization of kraft lignin facilitated the production of value-added products from kraft lignin. In phase I of this research collaboration, kraft lignin was successfully converted to flocculants and dispersants and two processes were developed for their production. To produce inexpensive and effective kraft lignin-based flocculants/dispersants with the desired characteristics for the mining and pulp & paper industries, the protocols for producing them should be further adjusted/revisited. In this research project (phase II), different alternatives will be explored to produce flocculants/dispersants from kraft lignin that are compatible with the technologies that the research group has already developed in phase I. FPInnovations will benefit from this research program by obtaining detailed data, techniques and technologies for the commercialization of kraft lignin-based products. The production of value-added lignin products from kraft lignin is crucial in the development of the kraft-based biorefinery, which will diversify the revenues of kraft pulp mills and eventually secure more jobs.