Techno Economic and Life Cycle Assesment of the Production of Polyols from Lignin

Due to the increase in population and its unceasing need of fuel for energy purposes, the environment is experiencing an imminent harm by the current fossil fuel combustion. Development of bio-based energy and materials are necessary to overcome the challenges at hand. Technology costs and ethical issues such as the “food versus fuel” dilemma are prominent barriers that slow down development in the bioproducts industry In order to establish a stable process that is capable of competing against conventional routes, uncertainties and constraints need to be overcome.

Lignin, a three-dimensional amorphous polymer, is one of the three essential components of wood along with carbohydrates and extractives. The pulp and paper industry, is the main source of Lignin. The by-products that result from the Kraft  Pulping process are highly concentrated with lignin, and are generally  burned to generate energy for different operations in the biorefinery.

A Life Cycle Assessment alongside a techno-economic analysis is  intended to evaluate and compare two different processes focused on the production of Polyols. The proposed biorefinery,based on the usage of Kraft Lignin obtained from the pulp and paper making process, will be compared against the conventional petroleum process. Also, Lignin  samples from various sources ( Kraft, Organosolv etc) will be used to prepare polyols, and compared on the basis of reactivity, with respect to Ethylene Glycol.

The intended application of this analysis is to aid polyurethane producers in the decision-making process when choosing between lignin-based polyols and petroleum-based polyols in the production of polyurethane foams.