New Method for Quantitative Preparation of Lignin- Carbohydrate Complex from Unbleached Softwood Kraft Pulp: Lignin-Polysaccharide Networks I

Summary A new method for the quantitative preparation of pulp representative lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC) has been developed, in which LCC has been systematically prepared at quantitative yield, fractionated and qualitatively determined. At least 90% of residual lignin in softwood kraft pulp is proposed to be chemically bonded to carbohydrates. A major part of LCC (92%) in softwood kraft pulp was observed between lignin, xylan and glucomannan, whereas a minor part (8%) was linked to cellulose. Half of the hemicelullosic LCC is a lignin-glucomannan complex. The other half is lignin-xylan complex and xylan-lignin-glucomannan complex. Thus, part of the residual lignin in softwood kraft pulp crosslinks xylan and glucomannan. The proposed linkages are of covalent type. At most 10% of the residual lignin is not bonded covalently to carbohydrates.