Solvent-free bulk polymerization of lignin-polycaprolactone (PCL) copolymer and its thermoplastic characteristics.

ABSTRACT: The pristine lignin molecules contain multiple reactive hydroxyl [OH] groups, some of which undergo limited polymerization depending on their configuration (aromatic or aliphatic) or conformation. The key issue in lignin-polymerization is to quantify the number of hydroxyl groups in the pristine molecules for subsequent activation to specific lignin-polymer chain lengths or degree of grafting. In this study, using ?-caprolactone (CL) as a reactive solvent, we successfully polymerized CL on the [OH] sites in the kraft lignin macromonomers (LM, M_w?=?1,520?g?mol^-1), which resulted in a thermoplastic lignin-polycaprolactone (PCL) grafted copolymer. We found that the average number of [OH] groups in the LM was 15.3 groups mol^-1, and further detected 40-71% of the [OH] groups in the CL bulk polymerization. The degree of polymerization of PCL grown on each [OH] site ranged between 7 and 26 depending on the reaction conditions ([CL]/[OH] and reaction-time) corresponding to 4,780 and 32,600?g?mol^-1 of PCL chains per a LM. The thermoplastic characteristics of the synthesized lignin-PCL copolymers were established by the melt viscosity exhibiting a shear-thinning behavior, e.g., 921?Pa.s at 180?°C. The thermal stability was remarkable providing a T_id (2% of weight loss) of 230?°C of the copolymers, compared with 69?°C for the pristine lignin.

SUBMITTER: Park IK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6504852 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature