Novel and Efficient Lignin Fractionation Processes for Tailing Lignin-Based Materials

As the most abundant aromatic biopolymer in nature, lignin has attracted great attention due to the complexity and yet richness of its functional groups for value-added applications. The yield of production of lignin and the reactivity of prepared lignin are very important to guarantee the feasibility of lignin-based material utilization. Various fractionation techniques have been developed to obtain high yield and relative high-purity lignin and carbohydrates (hemicelluloses and celluloses) and to reduce the condensed and degraded nature of conventional biorefinery lignin. In this chapter, novel and efficient lignin fractionation for tailing lignin-based material preparation are summarized and discussed.