Manufacture, Characterization, and Properties of Poly-(lactic acid) and its Blends with Esterified Pine Lignin
Carlos Vila,
Valentín Santos,
Bodo Saake,
Juan Carlos Parajó
Affiliations
Carlos Vila
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science, University of Vigo (Campus Ourense), As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain: CITI (Centro de Investigación, Transferencia e Innovación) – University of Vigo, Tecnopole, San Cibrao das Viñas, Ourense, Spain; Spain
Valentín Santos
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science, University of Vigo (Campus Ourense), As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain: CITI (Centro de Investigación, Transferencia e Innovación) – University of Vigo, Tecnopole, San Cibrao das Viñas, Ourense, Spain; Spain
Bodo Saake
Department of Wood Science, Chemical Wood Technology, University of Hamburg, Leuschnerstraße 91b, 21031 Hamburg, Germany; Germany
Juan Carlos Parajó
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Science, University of Vigo (Campus Ourense), As Lagoas, 32004 Ourense, Spain: CITI (Centro de Investigación, Transferencia e Innovación) – University of Vigo, Tecnopole, San Cibrao das Viñas, Ourense, Spain; Spain
Pinus pinaster wood was pulped in ethanol/water medium catalyzed with sulfuric acid, and lignin was recovered from the liquid phase by precipitation upon water addition. Lignin samples were characterized for composition and thermal properties. Lignin samples were reacted with selected esterification agents (butyric, isobutyric, or crotonic anhydrides) under experimental conditions leading to extensive conversion of the available hydroxyl groups, and the esterified lignins were assessed for composition and thermal properties. Samples made up of crude polylactic acid or its blends with lignins (raw or esterified) were assayed for mechanical properties. The blends of polylactic acid with lignin modified with butyric anhydride presented higher Young’s modulus and elongation at break than neat polylactic acid.
