NSERC biomaterials and chemicals strategic research network

森林工业是加拿大最大的工业之一，也是全国许多社区的经济支柱。由于来自低成本木材来源的竞争以及对其某些产品的需求下降，它面临着巨大的挑战。该行业正处于十字路口，必须做出改变。生产新的、高价值的产品而不是传统的商品产品是通往未来的道路。木质素是木材的主要成分之一，其含量仅次于纤维素。当木材被制浆以获得纤维素纤维时，大约20%的木材被溶解为木质素。这是目前纸浆厂使用的一种燃料。然而，木质素也有潜力成为各种产品的生物质原料。虽然它被用来制造粘合剂、分散剂和表面活性剂已经有一段时间了，但令人兴奋的新研究正在指出

The Forest Industry is one of Canada's largest industries and the economic mainstay of many communities across the country. It is facing great challenges due to competition from low cost sources of wood and declining demand for some of its products. The Industry is at a crossroads and must change. Production of new, high value products rather than traditional commodity products is the path to the future. Lignin is one of the primary components of wood, second only to cellulose in abundance. When wood is pulped to obtain cellulose fibres, approximately 20 % of wood is dissolved as lignin. This is currently used a fuel in pulp mills. However, lignin also has the potential to be a biomass feedstock for various products. While it has been used for some time to make adhesives, dispersants and surfactants, exciting new research is pointing