Microbially degradable phenolic foams based on depolymerized Kraft lignin for hydrophilic applications

Glen Cletus DSouza, Chonlong Chio, Aditya Venkatesh, Haoyu Wang, Madhumita B. Ray*, Anand Prakash*, Wensheng Qin, Chunbao Xu*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

Abstract

Hydrophilic phenol–formaldehyde (PF) foams, widely used in floral and hydroponic applications, are produced using phenol typically derived from non-renewable petroleum-based resources. This study examines the potential of depolymerized Kraft lignin (DKL) as a sustainable substitute for phenol in the synthesis of hydrophilic biobased foams. At 50 % DKL substitution, the foams demonstrated excellent water absorption capacities (up to 2557 %), relatively low densities (∼62 kg/m3), and nearly 100 % open-cell content. Its compressive strength (20.64 kPa at 10 % deformation) is comparable to commercially available floral and hydroponic foams. Additionally, foams with 10 % phenol substitution by DKL exhibited better thermal stability compared to neat phenolic foams. After 15 days of incubation with Laccase-producing bacterium Bacillus sp., 30 % and 50 % DKL foams exhibited the highest weight loss of 39.03 % and 38.9 %, respectively. Qualitative degree of biodegradation was further assessed using scanning electron microscopy and FT-IR analysis of the degraded samples. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
Original languageEnglish
Article number132082
JournalBioresource Technology
Volume419
Online published15 Jan 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2025

Research Keywords

  • Biodegradable
  • Floral
  • Hydroponics
  • Phenol formaldehyde
  • Sustainable foams
  • Water absorbing

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