Synthesizing lignin-based copolymers would valorize a major co-product stream from pulp mills and bio-refineries, as well as reduce the dependence on petrochemicals-based consumer goods. In this study, we used organosolv lignin (OSL) isolated from hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x P. deltoides) to generate lignin-containing methacrylate hydrogels. The copolymer hydrogels were synthesized by grafting 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) onto modified OSL by free radical polymerization. The OSL-HEMA hydrogels were synthesized with different ratios of OSL i.e., 0, 10, 20 and 40% (w/w). Copolymerization with OSL led to an increase in crosslinking density of the poly-HEMA-based hydrogels, which in turn affected their material properties. The OSL-HEMA hydrogels displayed up to 39% improvement in water retention, 20% increase in thermal resistance and up to 3-fold increase in magnitude of shear moduli (G’, G”), when compared to the control. The properties of OSL-HEMA hydrogels, such as water retention, could be tuned by alerting the degree of lignin OH-group modification and the ratio of modified lignin to HEMA.

Developing renewable and high strength hydrogels by incorporating lignin

255th National Meeting (2018)

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