Condensation Reactions of Softwood and Hardwood Lignin Model Compounds Under Organic Acid Cooking Conditions

Abstract

In order to examine the condensation reactions of softwood and hardwood lignin during organic acid cooking, mixtures of benzyl alcohol type lignin model compounds with guaiacyl and syringyl units as the sources of benzyl cations and creosol and 5-methoxycreosol as the sources of electron-rich aromatic carbons were cooked under acidic pulping conditions. From the yield of the condensation products in the initial reactions, it was shown that the carbonium cations of guaiacyl nuclei were more reactive than those of syringyl nuclei. Syringyl type aromatic ring carbons had higher reactivities than guaiacyl type ones. The cleavage of the benzyl ether bond in syringyl compounds was slower than that of guaiacyl compounds. The diphenylmethane structures formed by the condensation reaction between veratryl alcohol and 5-methoxycreosol were found to be unstable under the strong acidic cooking conditions. It is concluded that the condensation reactions between benzylic cations from the guaiacyl compounds and the electron rich aromatic ring carbons of syringyl ones are very fast, but the condensation products are unstable under the strong acidic pulping conditions. When the guaiacyl nuclei react as an electron-rich aromatic carbon, the reaction is slower but the condensation product is much more stable. These differences in reactivities, and the stabilities of the condensation products, may contribute to the resistance of softwood toward complete delignification on acid pulping.