Long-term stability of cellulose membranes in spent deep eutectic solvent used in the recovery of lignin from lignocellulosic biomass

Abstract

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are a novel class of solvents that can be used to fractionate biomass compounds. However, their sustainability depends strongly on their recyclability. In previous research, it was seen that membrane filtration with commercial cellulose membranes (RC70PP and Ultracel 5 kDa) might be a solution for purification of spent deep eutectic solvent (DES) that has been used in lignin extraction (Choline Chloride: Lactic Acid 1:10 molar ratio) from woody biomass. This DES is, however, very acidic (pH 1.3), which can have detrimental effects on the longevity of the membrane. In a previous study, the time that the membranes were exposed to the spent DES was relatively short. This study aims to increase knowledge of how cellulose membranes withstand spent DES over longer time periods of up to 8 weeks. The results show that cellulose membranes are quite stable under exposure to spent DES in terms of pure water flux and PEG retention for up to 4 weeks. After 8 weeks, the RC70PP membrane demonstrated an increase in pure water permeability of 45% and a noticeable decrease in PEG retention. Surface characterization revealed, however, that the chemical structure of the cellulose membranes changed already after 2 weeks of exposure prior to any changes in pure water permeability were observed. Experimentally revealed esterification of cellulose membrane by Lactic Acid of DES led to more negative charge of the exposed samples compared to their references. This esterification was accompanied by hydrolysis that removed amorphous parts and increased the crystallinity of the membrane.