The Role of Lignin in Surface-Activated Bonding of Lignocellulose—Characterized by Differential Scanning Calorimetryt

The study of surface modification to prepare an optimum surface for bonding is of practical importance for the production of glued materials. Lignocellulosic materials contain many chemical groupings such as phenolic and alcoholic hydroxyls, carbonyl groups, etc., capable of being readily activated by physical or chemical methods. These active sites can then react under heat and pressure, either with active sites from another surface, or through a crosslinking agent to form a glued product. This paper reports the role of lignin in the reactions between lignocellulosic materials and hydrogen peroxide studied by a differential scanning calorimetry method. The results showed that lignin is much more reactive toward hydrogen peroxide than is cellulose, and that the lignin-hydrogen peroxide reaction yields the highest enthalpy. Correlation between lignin and enthalpy, and enthalpy and bonding will also be discussed.