A Review on Lignin-Based Carbon Fibres for Carbon Footprint Reduction

Abstract

Carbon fibers (CFs) are made mostly from a non-environmentally friendly polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and little from rayon. PAN-based CFs, require huge amount of energy for its production aside its contributions to the global CO2 emission. Therefore, there is recourse to a more environmentally friendly sources of CFs biomass. Recently lignin has been recognized as a potential renewable raw material for carbon fibers to replace PAN-based. The magnitude and quality of CO2 emission of lignin-based CFs are dependent on the processing route. On this premise; this review examines the various lignin-based CFs processing route adopted by researcher in the recent past to establish the most viable route with minimum carbon footprint emission. Outcome of the review shows that the major advantages of aromatic polymer (AP) generated precursor over PAN is the presence of higher quantity of guaiacyl units and oxygen content which makes the stabilization phase efficient and faster requiring less energy. Though there are several methods and options for the various stages of conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into CFs as highlighted in the study, establishing an optimum processing route will be a trade-off amongst various issues of concern; carcinogenic risk, carbon footprint emission, CFs Yield and mechanical strength of the CFs. Inferences from the study shows that the L-CF significantly produced reduced climatic impact in terms of CO2 emission.

Highly conductive and porous lignin-derived carbon fibers

“…Platinum sheet and sulfuric acid were purchased from Shanghai Aladdin Biochemical Technology Co. All reagents and materials were used as received without undergoing further purification. 23,24 cost, [25][26][27] electrical conductivity, [28][29][30] specific surface area [30][31][32] and number of preparation steps. 28,30,33 production capacity of up to 5 kg h À1 .…”

Lignin Extraction by Using Two-Step Fractionation: A Review

“…The second sub-category focuses on the applications of lignin in various fields. Research and review papers have been published exploring the utilization of lignin for value-added chemicals [ 29 , 128 , 129 ], biopolymers [ 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 ], and lignin-based carbon applications [ 134 , 135 , 136 ]. Additionally, several reviews have concentrated on lignin conversion technologies, addressing different pathways and strategies for fuel production [ 137 , 138 , 139 , 140 , 141 ].…”

Influence of Hardwood Lignin Blending on the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Based Carbon Fibers

“…This process stabilizes and cross-links lignin, determining the formation of the thermoset structure . Notably, HKL, characterized by a higher abundance of carbon in general and also β-O-4 bonds to some extent, compensates for the lower carbon yield in pure cellulose-based fibers, with lignin’s carbonization yield of 40–50% compared to cellulose’s 10–30%. , A later section discussing the influence of carbon fibers precursor and microstructural characteristics on their mechanical and electroconductive properties will delve into the additional advantages conferred by β-O-4 bonds in HKL-based fibers. This distinct advantage arises from the lignin’s contribution and the favorable molecular structure of cellulose, ultimately leading to the production of CFs with robust mechanical properties.…”