Lignin Distillation for Removing Odorous Volatile Compounds
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Solution Overview
Problem
The odorous compounds in lignin, particularly guaiacol, dimethyl sulphide, dimethyl disulphide, and dimethyl trisulphide, restrict its applicability in consumer products and pose health hazards, necessitating a method to remove these compounds below their odor threshold values.
Innovation Solution
A distillation method, specifically steam stripping or vacuum distillation, is used to vaporize and remove volatile compounds such as guaiacol and reduced sulphur compounds from lignin-containing materials, without altering the lignin structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If lignin is used in consumer products, then it can replace fossil fuels and provide sustainable materials, but its bad smell restricts applicability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes volatile odorous compounds from lignin through steam stripping distillation, separating the harmful volatile fraction from the beneficial lignin material, thereby enabling lignin's use in consumer products where odour would previously have been unacceptable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical parameters of the lignin material by removing volatile compounds through controlled steam stripping at specific temperature and pressure conditions, transforming lignin from an odorous material into an odor-free material suitable for consumer applications
2Object-affected harmful factors
If volatile compounds are removed from lignin, then odour is reduced, but additional processing steps are required
Solution Approach 1:
The steam stripping process utilizes steam that can be generated from the lignin-containing material itself or from process steam already available in the pulp mill, making the odour removal process self-sufficient and integrating it into the existing production workflow without requiring entirely new equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs phase transition of water from liquid to steam to drive the removal process, using the steam phase to strip volatile compounds from lignin, and then condensing the steam back to liquid for separation, leveraging natural phase changes to achieve odour removal with minimal additional energy input
3Quantity of substance
If steam stripping is used to remove volatile compounds, then odorous substances are vaporized and removed, but energy is consumed for heating
Solution Approach 1:
The patent recovers energy by condensing the steam and volatile compounds after the stripping process, capturing the latent heat and potentially reusing it for preheating feedstock or generating power, thereby reducing the net energy consumption of the odour removal process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the odour removal process with existing evaporation and drying operations in the pulp mill by integrating steam stripping into the black liquor evaporation train, allowing multiple functions to be achieved in a single integrated system rather than separate processes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively reduces odorous compounds in lignin, expanding its applicability to odor-free applications like adhesives, resins, coatings, and plastics, while being cost-effective and environmentally friendly by avoiding the use of additional chemicals.
Implementation Method 1
treating the material by a distillation method in order to vaporize at least a part of the volatile compounds
Implementation Method 2
exposing the material to an action of steam in order to vaporize at least a part of the volatile compounds
Implementation Method 3
A distillation method, specifically steam stripping or vacuum distillation, is used to vaporize and remove volatile compounds
Implementation Method 4
A distillation method, specifically steam stripping or vacuum distillation, is used to vaporize and remove volatile compounds
Data Source
AI summary
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of removing volatile compounds from a lignin-containing material, the method comprising: providing a material comprising lignin and volatile compounds; treating the material by a distillation method in order to vaporize at least a part of the volatile compounds.