Polymer heatproofing mechanism of lignin extracted by simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and comminution

Electrically conducting films prepared from graphite and lignin in pure water

In this study, we present electrically conducting self-standing graphite films consisting of lignin derivatives extracted by simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and comminution (SESC). Sonication of graphite powder in the presence of SESC lignin and pure water allows dispersion of the SESC-lignin-attached graphite without addition of other chemicals. The SESC-lignin-attached graphite having a diameter of several micrometers can be used as a surface electroconductive coating and molded into self-standing films by drying. The SESC-lignin-attached graphite film exhibits higher conductivity (∼2,075 S/cm) than graphite-based composites consisting of ordinary lignin derivatives. Manufacturing self-standing films of micrometer-sized graphite using SESC lignin enables high electrical conductivity of the SESC-lignin-attached graphite film. The size of the SESC-lignin-attached graphite is proportional to the conductivity of the film. The SESC-lignin-attached graphite also acts as an antiplasticizer and a conductive filler for polymer films, i.e., conductive films consisting of poly(ethylene glycol) or Li+ montmorillonite can be obtained through a water-based process.

Nonflammable UV protective films consisting of clay and lignin with tunable light/gas transparency

In this paper, we present nonflammable UV protective films consisting of clay minerals and lignin derivatives. The nonflammable transparent films were produced by mixing clay with a lignin derivative extracted from plants by simultaneous enzymatic saccharification and comminution. The preparation procedure did not require hazardous chemicals. The optical properties and gas permeability of the films could be tuned by the components and phase separation structure of the clay minerals and lignin derivatives. In particular, the gas transmittance of the films could be controlled in the range of several mol m-2 s-1 Pa-1. The present film uses mineral and plant components as high-value industrial materials and reduces the environmental load of extracting limited petroleum-based resources.