BEHAVIOR OFEUCALYPTUS GLOBULUSLIGNIN DURING KRAFT PULPING. I. ANALYSIS BY CHEMICAL DEGRADATION METHODS

ABSTRACT Eucalyptus globulus wood was subjected to kraft pulping, reaching different extents of delignification. The residual and dissolved lignins were isolated by soft acidolysis and acidic precipitation, respectively, and submitted to analysis of residual sugars and methoxyl groups, as well as to analysis by nitrobenzene and permanganate oxidation and thioacidolysis. Results from both residual and dissolved lignins analyses indicated that in the initial phase of pulping there is a preferential removal of lignin enriched in guaiacylpropane (G) and p-hydroxyphenylpropane (H) units, which is highly condensed and bonded with polysaccharides, predominantly with xylan. During the bulk and residual phases of pulping, lignin enriched in syringylpropane (S) units is progressively removed, leading to the increase of S/G ratio of black liquor lignin. After a purification step of dissolved lignins, two fractions with distinct levels of carbohydrates and with different structural features were obtained. The overall results were interpreted in terms of the topochemistry of the kraft pulping process.