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

拟议的研究计划的目标是继续开发合适的战略，生产新的高附加值产品的木质素和其他木材残留物（或每一个部分）可在不列颠哥伦比亚省。这些可再生资源是木材加工作业中利用最不足但占主导地位的木材废料。此外，最近主要商品木材产品的世界市场供过于求，迫使加拿大的林业更具成本竞争力。因此，从这些特殊的木材废料中开发新的增值产品的需求确实迫切。此外，在硫酸盐法制浆过程中从黑液中部分去除木质素具有另外两个非常显著的优点：（1）其允许在回收锅炉有限的米尔斯厂中增加纸浆产量-许多现有的加拿大硫酸盐法米尔斯厂已经属于这一类别;（2）其提供了即使在相同的回收锅炉热负荷下制浆至较低木质素含量的选择，从而产生漂白化学品的显著节省以及减少流出物排放负荷。在这项研究计划中，将研究从这些木材废料中开发高价值产品的两种方法。一种方法是研究新的催化升级路线，目的是生产前所未有的高产率的有用燃料和化学品。我们将使用两个实验室反应器（流化床和固定床）单独或串联来研究所选催化剂的性能。对于有前景的路线，将确定动力学、机理、建模和转化率、产物产率和选择性方面的最佳反应条件。另一种策略将研究这些废料（或部分废料），用于通过溶液浇铸、聚合物共混和其他适当方法生产聚氨酯。将测定新型生物塑料的机械、热性能和生物降解性，以发展基本的结构-性能关系。在每项战略中，将确定最有前途的产品和工艺的潜在实际应用和经济效益。

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.