Influence of organic solvent on the separation of an ionic liquid from a lignin-ionic liquid mixture

Piyarat Weerachanchai; Kok Hwa Lim; Jong-Min Lee

doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2014.01.077

Influence of organic solvent on the separation of an ionic liquid from a lignin-ionic liquid mixture

Bioresour Technol. 2014 Mar:156:404-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.01.077. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Authors

Piyarat Weerachanchai¹, Kok Hwa Lim¹, Jong-Min Lee²

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore.
² School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637459, Singapore. Electronic address: jmlee@ntu.edu.sg.

PMID: 24534440
DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2014.01.077

Abstract

Sixteen solvents added in lignin-ionic liquid mixture provide four types of solubility characteristics. The distinct characteristics can be classified by considering solubility parameters including ET Scale, Kamlet-Taft parameters and solubility parameters. Group 1 solvent shows promising solvents for lignin-ionic liquid separation, contributing full dissolution of ionic liquid with lignin precipitation. Isopropanol, the most potential solvent has solubility properties as following normalized molar electronic transition energies (ET(N))=0.57, hydrogen-bond acidity (α)=0.76 and Hildebrand solubility parameter (δT)=23.58. This study examines potential solvents for ionic recovery, provides simple method of separation and leads to the feasibility of using ionic liquids in industrial applications.

Keywords: Ionic liquid; Lignin; Organic solvents; Solubility parameter.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Hydrogen Bonding
Ionic Liquids / isolation & purification*
Lignin / isolation & purification*
Organic Chemicals / chemistry*
Solubility
Solutions
Solvents / chemistry*

Substances

Ionic Liquids
Organic Chemicals
Solutions
Solvents
Lignin