Jonathan Alejandro Diaz Baca - Biotechnology PhD Defense
The Biotechnology PhD candidate Jonathan Alejandro Diaz Baca will present his doctoral research on Monday, January 16 at 9 am in FB 2023 and on zoom.
CROSSLINKED LIGNIN STARCH POLYMERS WITH ALTERNATIVE APPLICATIONS
''Lignin is a biopolymer widely investigated in recent years, such as the isolation process of lignin, the utilization of isolated lignin products, and the potential use of lignin are desirable. Starch is also a natural polymer used in many industrial processes and products. In the first research study of this thesis, a new process for isolating lignin from the tall oil soap generated in the kraft pulping process was developed (i.e., LignoTall). The properties and characteristics of the newly isolated lignin (tall oil lignin, (TOL)) were compared against kraft lignin, and a new application was proposed for TOL. In a subsequent study, TOL and starch were polymerized with a sulphonate-containing monomer to generate flocculants for colloidal systems. The monomer covalently polymerized TOL and starch to generate a three-block copolymer, as confirmed by NMR analysis. In addition, a temperature-responsive macromolecule (KLS) compounded by crosslinking of kraft lignin and starch (KLS) was generated and studied. The crosslinking of kraft lignin and starch was achieved through glycerol ether cross-bonds and confirmed by NMR and XPS analysis. Moreover, the viscoelastic properties of KLS water dispersions were determined by rheological analysis. Overall, the outcome of this thesis contributes to the knowledge of the production of soluble lignin-starch materials, describing new methods for generating covalently crosslinked lignin-starch macromolecules. Also, introducing the LignoTall process for generating TOL opens opportunities for the transformation and application of a new type of lignin with unique properties.''
Committee Members: Dr. Pedram Fatehi, (supervisor), Dr. Sudip Rakshit, Dr. Ehsan Behzadfar and Dr. Hongbin Liu (external), Dr. Ahmed Elshaer (chair)
Everyone is welcome
Contact Brenda Magajna at phd.ses@lakeheadu.ca for more information.