Aromatics from Lignin: UW–Madison Scientists Develop New Method to Produce Aromatics from Lignin
This news update regarding Aeromatics from Lignin is brough to you by SpecialChem.
Aeromatics from Lignin
Scientists disclosed a new method to convert lignin, a biomass waste product, into simple chemicals. The innovation is an important step toward replacing petroleum-based fuels and chemicals with biorenewable materials, says Shannon Stahl, an expert in “green chemistry” at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Lignin is the substance that makes trees and cornstalks sturdy, and it accounts for nearly 30 percent of the organic carbon in the biosphere. Stahl, senior author of a new report in the journal Nature, notes that lignin is a waste product of the paper industry, where cellulose is the valuable product. “Lignin is burned as a low-value fuel, but if biofuels are to become a reality, we need to get more value from lignin,” he explains.
Lignin is a complex material containing chains of six-carbon rings. These rings, called “aromatics,” could be the basis for a sustainable supply of useful chemicals — but only if the chains of lignin can be broken down into the individual units.
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