L. Novak, S. Bera, A. Upadhyay, L. Pal
North Carolina State University,
United States
Keywords: lignin, coatings, lignin modification, films
Summary:
Lignin, an abundant biopolymer, offers potential to be used in sustainable material development due to its aromatic structure and functionality. This study explores methods of functionalizing lignin to enhance its hydrophobic properties for use in protective coatings. Chemical modification strategies like alkylation, acylation, and silylation, can be used to add non-polar groups onto lignin. The modified lignin is characterized via FTIR, PNMR, and contact angle measurements to confirm structural changes and evaluate hydrophobic performance. Coatings incorporating functionalized lignin show increased water resistance and mechanical stability, while offering a more environmentally friendly coating opposed to synthetic coatings. This study highlights modified lignin’s potential as a sustainable additive to hydrophobic coatings with increased performance, and further contributes to the development of green-material technologies for packaging and coatings.