Polyurethane Coatings Based on Chemically Unmodified Fractionated Lignin

Abstract

New lignin-based thermoset polyurethane (PU) coatings with high lignin content are presented in this work. These materials were obtained by extracting a sol fraction from a raw kraft lignin sample with the bioderived solvent 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF), and subsequently directly cross-linking the MeTHF-soluble lignin fraction with a toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-based polyisocyanate at different weight ratios. A thorough characterization of the PU materials highlighted their improved thermal stability, better film forming ability and higher hydrophobic character compared with the un-cross-linked lignin precursor. Additionally, force–distance curve measurements by atomic force microscopy were employed to determine the elastic modulus of the PU materials. Finally, the lignin-based PU materials were found to exhibit high adhesion on different substrates, including glass, wood and metals. The results of this study demonstrate that the direct reaction of chemically unmodified fractionated lignin with polyisocyanates represents an interesting strategy for the development of lignin-based thermoset PU systems that may find application in the field of high-performance biobased coatings and adhesives.