The present invention relates to a method for producing lignin in particle form from a liquid containing lignin-containing raw material, the method comprising at least: reacting the liquid with a cross-linking agent (step a)), precipitating the lignin, thereby forming lignin particles in the liquid (step b)), and separating the liquid from the lignin particles formed in step b) (step c)), and wherein, in step b), the liquid is heat-treated, after precipitation, at a temperature in the range of 60 to 200° C. for a period of 1 minute to 6 hours, and/or, in an additional step d) after step c), the lignin particles separated from the liquid are heat-treated at a temperature in the range of 60 to 600° C. The invention also relates to lignin particles which can be obtained according to the method, lignin particles per se, a use of the lignin particles as filler, and a rubber composition comprising, inter alia, a filler component, the latter containing lignin particles as a filler.

The disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a colloidal dispersion of Kraft lignin (KL) nanoparticles, said method comprising the steps of (a) providing KL; (b) dissolving said KL into a solvent, to obtain a solution having a concentration of Kraft lignin of at least 15 mg/ml; and (c) mixing said solution with an antisolvent under mixing conditions, to provide a colloidal dispersion of nanoparticles. Said method is remarkable in that the solvent used in step (b) of dissolving said KL is one or more organic solvents, and in that step (c) of mixing is performed by the addition of the solution of step (b) into an antisolvent being or comprising water. The disclosure also relates to spherical KL nanoparticles with an average diameter size ranging from 9 nm up to 70 nm. The disclosure further relates to various uses of said spherical KL nanoparticle.

A method of pyrolysis of Kraft lignin is disclosed, including the steps of providing a microwave generator system, providing a Kraft lignin feedstock in the system, providing a biochar in the system as a microwave receptor, providing nitrogen atmosphere in the system, and heating the feedstock and receptor using microwave energy to make a biooil. A biooil made using the above method is also disclosed as is a biooil having a high phenolic content, in the range of 86.6% to 97.9%.

The present invention provides methods for preparing the nut waste sheet composites from a nut waste component and one or more binders.

The present invention provides methods for preparing the nut waste sheet composites from a nut waste component and one or more binders.

The present invention relates to an improved process for preparing an aqueous dispersion of lignin and the use of said suspension in the preparation of a resin.

Methods of forming lignin prepolymers are provided. In an embodiment, such a method comprises adding an acid to an ozonized reaction mixture, the ozonized reaction mixture comprising ozonized lignin having a backbone, and aromatic monomers cleaved from a lignin, under conditions to react the cleaved aromatic monomers with the backbone of the ozonized lignin to form a lignin prepolymer. The methods may further comprise using the lignin prepolymer to form a lignin resin.

A composition comprises phenolic polymer particles and a surfactant, on the phenolic polymer particles. The composition is lipophilic. A dispersion comprises the phenolic polymer particles, the surfactant, and a carrier vehicle. The carrier vehicle may be a cosmetically-acceptable fluid or a wax that is lipophilic.

A composition comprises phenolic polymer particles and a surfactant, on the phenolic polymer particles. The composition is lipophilic. A dispersion comprises the phenolic polymer particles, the surfactant, and a carrier vehicle. The carrier vehicle may be a cosmetically-acceptable fluid or a wax that is lipophilic.

A method of growing plants in a coherent growth substrate product is provided and includes: providing at least one coherent growth substrate product comprising man-made vitreous fibres (MMVF) bonded with a cured aqueous binder composition; positioning one or more seeds, seedlings, cuttings or plants in contact with the growth substrate product; and irrigating the growth substrate product. The aqueous binder composition prior to curing includes a component (i) in the form of one or more oxidized lignins, a component (ii) in the form of one or more cross-linkers, and a component (iii) in the form of one or more plasticizers.