CHEMICALS GENERATED DURING OXYGEN-ORGANOSOLV PULPING OF WOOD

In this paper, we have characterized the black liquors from oxygen-org anosolv pulping of Eucalyptus globulus wood in ethanol/water solutions (50:50, V/V) and acetic acid/water solutions (80:20, V/V). After pulp separation, the organic solvent has been distilled and recycled; the precipitated lignin has been recovered by filtration. The degradation products in solution have been easily separated by simple extraction t echniques. Five main groups of compounds have been isolated: solid lig nin (11-12% o.d.w.), sugars (10-17% o.d.w.), aliphatic acids (12,5%), aromatic acids (2% o.d.w.) and low molecular weight phenols (1% o.d.w. ). Most of these compounds were identified by HPLC and GC. Solid ligni ns have been analyzed by FTIR and C-13 NMR spectroscopy. It has been C oncluded that oxygen-organosolv pulping process can be a new and inter esting way for pulp preparation with little pollution and possibility of total biomass recovery; alternatively, it can be used for the fract ionation and valorization of the components of lignocellulosics, inclu ding agriculture residues.