Conversion of lignin into foam-like aerogels, using an environmentally benign freeze drying process is described herein. Interest in lignin as a bio-resource has been gaining popularity in recent years, as it is currently viewed by industry largely as a waste product that in most cases is simply burned as a fuel source. The use of lignin in a polymer/clay aerogel offers the potential for a high value-added foam-like material potentially usurping the use of traditional petroleum derived foams in some applications. The present work demonstrates that lignin/clay and lignin/alginate aerogel samples can possess compressive moduli as high as 36.0 MPa.

Fabrication and mechanical characterization of lignin-based aerogels

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.