Lignin Chemistry
Lignin History Lignin is a plant-derived biopolymer with several applications. It is considered an effective alternative to chemically synthesized plastics that pose serious environmental problems during manufacture and disposal. Lignin is often obtained as a byproduct in paper and pulp manufacture. Lignin has to be dissolved to obtain cellulose from wood. In 1838, Anselme Payen discovered that wood contained cellulose, and oxidizable coatings (later called lignin) that bind the cellulose together (McCarthy and Islam, 2000). This coating material could be removed from wood after acid treatment and washing with an aqueous alkali solution (McCarthy and Islam, 2000). Later, several ...
