Bio-based polymers production in a kraft lignin biorefinery: techno-economic assessment

Luana Dessbesell; Zhongshun Yuan; Shawn Hamilton; Mathew Leitch; Reino Pulkki; Chunbao Charles Xu

doi:10.1002/bbb.1834

Bio-based polymers production in a kraft lignin biorefinery: techno-economic assessment

Luana Dessbesell, Zhongshun Yuan, Shawn Hamilton, Mathew Leitch, Reino Pulkki, Chunbao Charles Xu^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at Aalto University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review

38 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper presents a techno-economic and risk analysis of a kraft lignin (KL) biorefinery (3000 tonne of KL·year^-1 capacity), where KL is depolymerized to produce depolymerized kraft lignin (DKL) as a bio-substitute to polyol and phenol for the production of bio-based polymers (polyurethane and phenolic resins). Three scenarios were examined: (i) DKL as a phenol substitute, (ii) DKL as a polyol substitute, and (iii) oxypropylated depolymerized kraft lignin (Oxy-DKL) a polyol substitute. The Net Present Value was calculated to compare these scenarios. To address the uncertainty risks in feedstock and product price, a sensitivity analysis and a Monte Carlo simulation were performed. Results show that DKL and Oxy-DKL derived from the KL biorefinery are a feasible bio-substitute for petroleum-based polyols with a minimum selling price of 1440 and 1623 US$·t^-1, respectively. However, DKL is likely not feasible when replacing phenol (minimum selling price of 1421 US$·t^-1) due to the current low market price of phenol. The feasibility of the KL biorefinery is highly sensitive to the market prices of the products. Feedstock supply and market demand for lignin-derived biopolyols are still uncertain; therefore, a supply chain design model is necessary for decision-making.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	239-250
Number of pages	12
Journal	Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining: BIOFPR
Volume	12
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.1834
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2018
MoE publication type	A1 Journal article-refereed

Keywords

bio-polyols
biophenols
biorefinery
kraft lignin, de-polymerized kraft lignin
techno-economic analysis

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/bbb.1834

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title = "Bio-based polymers production in a kraft lignin biorefinery: techno-economic assessment",

abstract = "This paper presents a techno-economic and risk analysis of a kraft lignin (KL) biorefinery (3000 tonne of KL·year-1 capacity), where KL is depolymerized to produce depolymerized kraft lignin (DKL) as a bio-substitute to polyol and phenol for the production of bio-based polymers (polyurethane and phenolic resins). Three scenarios were examined: (i) DKL as a phenol substitute, (ii) DKL as a polyol substitute, and (iii) oxypropylated depolymerized kraft lignin (Oxy-DKL) a polyol substitute. The Net Present Value was calculated to compare these scenarios. To address the uncertainty risks in feedstock and product price, a sensitivity analysis and a Monte Carlo simulation were performed. Results show that DKL and Oxy-DKL derived from the KL biorefinery are a feasible bio-substitute for petroleum-based polyols with a minimum selling price of 1440 and 1623 US$·t-1, respectively. However, DKL is likely not feasible when replacing phenol (minimum selling price of 1421 US$·t-1) due to the current low market price of phenol. The feasibility of the KL biorefinery is highly sensitive to the market prices of the products. Feedstock supply and market demand for lignin-derived biopolyols are still uncertain; therefore, a supply chain design model is necessary for decision-making.",

keywords = "bio-polyols, biophenols, biorefinery, kraft lignin, de-polymerized kraft lignin, techno-economic analysis",

author = "Luana Dessbesell and Zhongshun Yuan and Shawn Hamilton and Mathew Leitch and Reino Pulkki and Xu, {Chunbao Charles}",

note = "Funding Information: The financial support for this work was mainly from NSERC and Ontario government via an NSERC Discovery Grant, the NSERC/FPInnovations Industrial Research Chair program and an ORF-RE grant in Forest Biorefinery, and NSERC Biomaterials and Chemicals Strategic Research Network (Lignoworks). One of the authors (L.D.) also gratefully acknowledges Canada-Brazil Science Without Borders/CNPq Graduate Scholarship. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd",

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doi = "10.1002/bbb.1834",

language = "English",

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T1 - Bio-based polymers production in a kraft lignin biorefinery: techno-economic assessment

AU - Dessbesell, Luana

AU - Yuan, Zhongshun

AU - Hamilton, Shawn

AU - Leitch, Mathew

AU - Pulkki, Reino

AU - Xu, Chunbao Charles

N1 - Funding Information: The financial support for this work was mainly from NSERC and Ontario government via an NSERC Discovery Grant, the NSERC/FPInnovations Industrial Research Chair program and an ORF-RE grant in Forest Biorefinery, and NSERC Biomaterials and Chemicals Strategic Research Network (Lignoworks). One of the authors (L.D.) also gratefully acknowledges Canada-Brazil Science Without Borders/CNPq Graduate Scholarship. Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

PY - 2018/3/1

Y1 - 2018/3/1

N2 - This paper presents a techno-economic and risk analysis of a kraft lignin (KL) biorefinery (3000 tonne of KL·year-1 capacity), where KL is depolymerized to produce depolymerized kraft lignin (DKL) as a bio-substitute to polyol and phenol for the production of bio-based polymers (polyurethane and phenolic resins). Three scenarios were examined: (i) DKL as a phenol substitute, (ii) DKL as a polyol substitute, and (iii) oxypropylated depolymerized kraft lignin (Oxy-DKL) a polyol substitute. The Net Present Value was calculated to compare these scenarios. To address the uncertainty risks in feedstock and product price, a sensitivity analysis and a Monte Carlo simulation were performed. Results show that DKL and Oxy-DKL derived from the KL biorefinery are a feasible bio-substitute for petroleum-based polyols with a minimum selling price of 1440 and 1623 US$·t-1, respectively. However, DKL is likely not feasible when replacing phenol (minimum selling price of 1421 US$·t-1) due to the current low market price of phenol. The feasibility of the KL biorefinery is highly sensitive to the market prices of the products. Feedstock supply and market demand for lignin-derived biopolyols are still uncertain; therefore, a supply chain design model is necessary for decision-making.

AB - This paper presents a techno-economic and risk analysis of a kraft lignin (KL) biorefinery (3000 tonne of KL·year-1 capacity), where KL is depolymerized to produce depolymerized kraft lignin (DKL) as a bio-substitute to polyol and phenol for the production of bio-based polymers (polyurethane and phenolic resins). Three scenarios were examined: (i) DKL as a phenol substitute, (ii) DKL as a polyol substitute, and (iii) oxypropylated depolymerized kraft lignin (Oxy-DKL) a polyol substitute. The Net Present Value was calculated to compare these scenarios. To address the uncertainty risks in feedstock and product price, a sensitivity analysis and a Monte Carlo simulation were performed. Results show that DKL and Oxy-DKL derived from the KL biorefinery are a feasible bio-substitute for petroleum-based polyols with a minimum selling price of 1440 and 1623 US$·t-1, respectively. However, DKL is likely not feasible when replacing phenol (minimum selling price of 1421 US$·t-1) due to the current low market price of phenol. The feasibility of the KL biorefinery is highly sensitive to the market prices of the products. Feedstock supply and market demand for lignin-derived biopolyols are still uncertain; therefore, a supply chain design model is necessary for decision-making.

KW - bio-polyols

KW - biophenols

KW - biorefinery

KW - kraft lignin, de-polymerized kraft lignin

KW - techno-economic analysis

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U2 - 10.1002/bbb.1834

DO - 10.1002/bbb.1834

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85034632051

SN - 1932-104X

VL - 12

SP - 239

EP - 250

JO - Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining: BIOFPR

JF - Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining: BIOFPR

IS - 2

ER -

Bio-based polymers production in a kraft lignin biorefinery: techno-economic assessment

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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