Kraft Process—Formation of Secoisolariciresinol Structures and Incorporation of Fatty Acids in Kraft Lignin

The complex chemical structure and the fact that many areas in pulping and lignin chemistry still remain unresolved are challenges associated with exploiting lignin. In this study, we address questions regarding the formation and chemical nature of the insoluble residual lignin, the presence of fatty acids in kraft lignin, and the origin of secoisolariciresinol structures. A mild thermal treatment of lignin at maximum kraft-cooking temperatures (∼170 °C) with tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) or in an inert solvent (decane) produced highly insoluble products. However, acetylation of these samples enabled detailed chemical characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The results show that the secoisolariciresinol (β-β) structure in kraft lignin is formed by rearrangement of the β-aryl ether structure. Furthermore, fatty acids bind covalently to kraft lignin by reacting with the stilbene structures present. It is highly probable that these reactions also occur during kraft pulping, and this phenomenon has an impact on controlling the present kraft pulping process along with the development of new products from kraft lignin.