1 research outputs found
Elucidating the Role of Lignin Type and Functionality in the Development of High-Performance Biobased Phenolic Thermoset Resins
In this work, a series of biobased phenolic resins were
developed
starting from kraft and soda lignin, suitably functionalized through
esterification by means of succinic anhydride. As a result of an extensive
optimization study of the functionalization and curing reactions,
clear correlations between lignin type and chemical–physical
characteristics and the properties of the resulting phenolic resin
systems were described. In particular, the esterification reaction
through succinic anhydride was found to play a key role in enhancing
the chemical reactivity and in facilitating the successful incorporation
of lignin into the resin formulations. The obtained high-lignin-content
thermoset materials were shown to exhibit tunable chemical (functionality,
gel content, and cross-linking density), thermal (glass transition
temperature and thermo-oxidative stability), and mechanical (surface
hardness, indentation modulus, and creep behavior) characteristics,
which could outperform those of fully oil-based reference phenolic
resins by judicious control of lignin concentration and chemical characteristics.
In particular, succinylated kraft lignin was found to enable more
efficient incorporation into the cured systems. This work provides
the first demonstration of the incorporation of succinic-anhydride-modified-lignin
in the formulation of high-performance phenolic resins, ultimately
contributing to the definition of structure–property–performance
correlations for rational biobased material design in the context
of advanced and sustainable manufacturing