Carbon fiber produced from lignin has recently become a promising scalable product with potential uses ranging from thermal insulation to reinforcing automobile bodies. The utilization of lignin for carbon fiber production offers a cheap, stable, renewable source, unlike current petroleum based precursors, such as polyacrylonitrile whose cost fluctuates with the petroleum industry. Depending on the source of the lignin, the resultant molecular structure has varying ratios of the monolignols, p-courmaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, and sinapyl alcohol. The different molecular structures can affect the assembly of the lignin in solution during processing, which will impact the physical properties of the final product. Previously, lignin-based carbon fiber research has shown that mixing 1-2 wt. % polyethylene oxide (PEO) with the lignin before fiber formation can enhance the properties of the final carbon fibers. The purpose of this research is to study the role of the PEO on the assembly of the lignin in solution by monitoring the structure of lignin from different sources in solution with and without PEO. The molecular assembly of lignin in solution was characterized by small angle neutron scattering, where deuteration of the solvent, dimethylsulfoxide, and PEO provides the required contrast. Initial results indicate the addition of PEO increases the aggregation behavior of some lignins, but appears to have the opposite effect on others, by breaking up the aggregates.

Impact of polyethylene oxide on the assembly of lignin structure in solution

247th National Meeting (2014)

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