There are provided processes for recovering a “heart-cut” liquid-lignin fraction from a lignin-containing stream such as a black liquor stream from a paper making process or the crude lignin stream within a non-destructive biomass conversion process by carbonating, acidifying and recovering the liquid-lignin fraction. The processes generally include reacting black liquor with a carefully selected amount of carbon dioxide (CO
2
), to decrementally reduce the pH of the black liquor and produce fractions of a dense liquid-lignin precipitate at each pH decrement to about a pH of 8. The sequential reduction in pH is less than or equal to about 1.5 in most embodiments, less than 1.0 in other embodiments, and less than 0.50 in still other embodiments. It has been discovered that lignin recovered from the dense liquid-lignin precipitate at the different pH decrements can have different molecular weight ranges and/or structures. This process provides an improved lignin with a more narrow distribution of molecular weight, melt point, and chemical structure that is more suitable for high-value polymer applications.
本文提供了从含
木质素流中(如造纸工艺中的黑液流或非破坏性
生物质转化过程中的原始
木质素流)回收“心截”液态
木质素分数的过程,包括
碳酸化、酸化和回收液态
木质素分数。该过程通常包括将黑液与精心选择的
二氧化碳(
CO2)量反应,逐步降低黑液的pH值,并在每个pH值降低到约8的密集液态
木质素沉淀的分数中产生。在大多数实施例中,pH的顺序降低小于或等于约1.5,在其他实施例中小于1.0,在其他实施例中小于0.50。发现在不同pH下从密集液态
木质素沉淀中回收的
木质素可以具有不同的分子量范围和/或结构。该过程提供了一种改进的
木质素,具有更窄的分子量分布、熔点和
化学结构,更适合于高价值聚合物应用。