New Process Turns Paper Manufacturing Waste into Valuable Chemicals
Phoenix666 writes:
A group of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory has discovered a way to convert a common byproduct of the paper manufacturing process into valuable chemical precursors for making nylon. The process is much more environmentally friendly in terms of the solvent(s) used and the energy inputs than other methods and provides a useful alternative to burning waste products of pulping.
Kraft (from the German meaning strength) lignin is a major waste product of the paper industry, amounting to about 50 million tons annually. This waste lignin is typically burned for heat, however, that process also releases carbon dioxide into the environment.
Ames Laboratory researchers discovered that treating this lignin with aqueous sodium hydroxide at reasonable temperatures (200 C) produces guaiacol. Guaiacol can then be converted into nylon precursors under even milder conditions using suitable catalysts-creating a new, viable two-step process for producing important chemicals from lignin.
One process's waste is another's gold?
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