FEICA 2023 Conference and EXPO
Tarragona, Spain, 13-15 September 2023

Presentation Abstract

Upgrading lignin toward adhesives and sealants applications

Aromatics are among the most important resources (~40%) for the chemical industry, and in particular bring specific functionalities to adhesive materials. Currently, all aromatic building blocks are derived from petroleum, and some of them are raising toxicity concerns (e.g. bisphenol A). The synthesis of (semi)aromatic polymers derived from renewable resources is currently attracting enormous interest from academia and industry. Lignin is the second most abundant natural polymer on earth (after cellulose) and represents the only large-scale source of aromatics in nature. Although the use of lignin in new polymers has shown great promise for decades, its intrinsic complexity and heterogeneity still limit its more widespread use in specialty materials. This presentation will highlight the different strategies being developed to facilitate the use of lignin in adhesives and sealants applications, with a particular focus on the work carried out at the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO). More specifically, three aspects will be addressed in this presentation: i) Depolymerization and valorization of lignin towards functional bio-aromatic fractions, ii) Use of lignin fractions as functional additives for adhesive applications; iii) Use of lignin fractions as building blocks for the synthesis of new adhesive polymers.