Structure and Properties of Lignin From Five Distinct Biomasses

Abstract We have investigated the structural, thermal and morphological properties of lignin extracted from five distinct biomasses in order to establish the influence of the age of the source, environmental conditions during growth and quantity present. In fact, lignin is an integral part of cellulosic biomass and affects the structure, properties, processing and applications. Presence of lignin is critical for structural integrity but detrimental for converting biomass into new products. Aerial roots from banyan tree, sugarcane bagasse, bamboo, cornhusk and rice straw were selected to extract Klason lignin using the sulfuric acid approach. Extent of lignin in the samples varied from 9.14 to 23.77 %. Overall, compositional analysis showed that the lignin from the five sources had considerable variation, particularly in terms of the trace elements. Nevertheless, structure and properties of lignin extracted from five distinct biomasses was found to be independent of the age of the source, conditions during growth or quantity present in the biomass.