PRODUCTION OF CARBON MATERIALS FROM BIOMASS

LIGNIN IS THE MOST ABUNDANT RENEWABLE AROMATIC POLYMER. GIVEN THE RELATIVELY LOW COST, HIGH ABUNDANCE, AND RENEWABLE NATURE OF THIS RESOURCE, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT MANY ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO DEVELOP HIGHER VALUE PRODUCTS FROM LIGNIN. CARBON MATERIALS HAVE A MUCH HIGHER ADDED VALUE THAN ALMOST ANY OTHER PRODUCT WHICH CAN BE PRODUCED FROM LIGNIN. THIS PHASE I PROJECT SUGGESTS THAT AN APPROPRIATE MODIFICATION OF THE COMPOSITION OF LIGNIN-DERVIED PITCH COULD GREATLY ENHANCE ITS SUITABILITY AS A PRECURSOR MATERIAL FOR CARBON FIBERS AND OTHER CARBON MATERIALS. RELATIVELY HIGH YIELDS OF ALKYL SUBSTITUTED, OXYGEN REDUCED TARS CAN BE PRODUCED FROM LIGNIN PYROLYSIS FOLLOWED BY SECONDARY CATALYTIC TREATMENT OF TARS OVER AN ALUMINA BED. LIGNIN-MODIFYING ENZYMES CAN REDUCE, DEPOLYMERIZE, AND/OR DEMETH(OX)YLATE LIGNIN-LIKE MATERIALS. COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT THROUGH PHASE II WOULD RESULT IN A PROCESS TAILORED TOWARD THE PRODUCTION OF MESOPHASE PITCH FROM LIGNIN, AN OPTIMIZED PRODUCT SLATE, A QUANTITATIVE MODEL RELATING TAR PROPERTIES TO PROCESS CONDITIONS, AND ON-LINE FOURIER TRANSFORM-INFRARED (FT-IR) DIAGNOSTICS FOR PROCESS CONTROL.