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Separation and recovery of lignin and hydrocarbon derivatives from cardboard

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Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of acid precipitation for the separation and recovery of lignin and hydrocarbon derivatives from the waste stream of the alkali extraction of recycled cardboard. The recovery of chemicals from this effluent is complex due to their heterogeneity. Apart from the lignin and hydrocarbon derivatives, also, fillers, inks, and polysaccharides are present. A procedure of fractional acid precipitation was designed, reducing the pH from 10.7 to 8.8, 7.2, 5.1, 3.1, and 1.5. Each solid fraction was analyzed by infrared spectroscopy to determine its chemical composition and amount of precipitate. A mixture of lignin and hydrocarbon derivatives was detected in the solids obtained at pH 3.1. A dichloromethane extraction of the hydrocarbon derivatives was performed. Both recovered lignin and hydrocarbon were analyzed by infrared and gel permeation chromatography. The lignin showed similar characteristics (e.g., molecular weight ≈ 10.000 Da) as commercial lignin from virgin softwood. For the hydrocarbon derivatives, a molecular weight range between 10,000 and 150 Da was observed. In conclusion, this paper shows that the recovery of lignin and hydrocarbon derivatives is scientifically and technologically possible from the waste stream of the cardboard recycling processes. Further research is necessary to improve the extraction efficiency that was around 7.9% for the lignin and around 5.5% of the total amount of extractives compared with their amount in cardboard. Despite the low extraction efficiency, the estimated 9.6 million tons of lignin present in cardboard and the lignin price around 300–500 USD/ton make this research of industrial interest.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Prof. Dr. Christophe Vande Velde of the iPRACS research group of the University of Antwerp for the help in the spectra interpretation and Prof. Dr. ir. Wim Thielemans of the University of Leuven for the help in the interpretation of GPC chromatograms.

Funding

This study was supported by research funding from Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) (Pr. Nr. IWT.155050) and the University of Antwerp.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. iPRACS – Intelligence in Processes, Advanced Catalysts and Solvents, Faculty of Applied Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium

    Giorgio Tofani & Serge Tavernier

  2. BioWaVE – Biochemical Wastewater Valorisation and Engineering, Faculty of Applied Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium

    Iris Cornet

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  1. Giorgio Tofani
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Correspondence to Giorgio Tofani.

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Tofani, G., Cornet, I. & Tavernier, S. Separation and recovery of lignin and hydrocarbon derivatives from cardboard. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 12, 3409–3424 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00931-7

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