Lignin adds mechanical strength to briquetted anthracite fines, allowing the briquettes to be used as a fuel source in foundries.   The lignin binder primarily adds strength in the �heat zone� of the cupola furnace, from about 500�C to 1100�C.  Our goal is to completely characterize the transformation of lignin throughout this temperature range to understand the chemistry occurring in the cupola.  This characterization has been accomplished by pyrolyzing lignin samples at a series of temperatures and times and analyzing each sample by a variety of analytical techniques.  The techniques used include solid-state 13C CP-MAS, recoupled long-range C-H dipolar dephasing 13C solid-state NMR, conductivity experiments, and gas chromatography.   These techniques provide insight into the structure of the resultant lignin char and the evolved gases, giving clues regarding the mechanism of lignin thermal evolution and decomposition.

Characterization of lignin throughout pyrolysis

245th National Meeting (2013)

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