Fabrication and mechanical characterization of lignin-based aerogels

Conversion of lignin into foam-like aerogels using an environmentally benign freeze-drying process is described in this study. Interest in lignin as a bioresource has been gaining popularity in recent years, as it is currently viewed by most industries as a waste product that in most cases is simply burned as a fuel source. The use of lignin in a polymer/clay aerogel offers the potential for a high value-added foam-like material potentially usurping the use of traditional petroleum-derived foams in some applications. The present study demonstrates that lignin/clay and lignin/alginate aerogel samples can possess compressive moduli as high as 36·0 MPa.