Quantification of lignin-carbohydrate complexes in hardwood pulps

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High kappa number kraft and soda-anthraquinone (soda-AQ or SAQ) pulps from sugar maple (Acer saccharum) were investigated to see how the lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCC) they contained affected lignin removal by oxygen, chlorine dioxide, and hydrogen peroxide. The chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide doses were higher than normal because both pulps had unbleached kappa numbers in the range of 61-62. Only oxygen delignification was investigated with the SAQ pulp. The research focused on the strong lignin-carbohydrate (L-C) linkages only. The pulp carbohydrates were enzymatically degraded and solubilized, thus leaving an enzymatic lignin (EL) residue. The highest concentration of bound sugars (glucan, xylan, arabinan, and galactan) on any of the ELs was <2.1 wt%. Chlorine dioxide (D stage) was investigated at end pHs of 2.1, 2.9, and 4.0, followed by extraction with dilute sodium hydroxide. Lignin oligomers containing bound glucan and arabinan were unreactive and accumulated in the fibers. When oxygen was used to delignify kraft and SAQ pulps by ~50%, only ~10% of the lignin bound arabinan was solubilized. Galacto-lignin complexes were somewhat reactive to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide under alkaline conditions, but less reactive in the D stages. Consistent with literature data, xylo-lignin complexes were reactive toward oxygen and toward the other two oxidants. They do not appear to be major impediments in the bleaching process.