Hydrogen peroxide degradation of kraft lignin

A technical pine kraft lignin was subjected to alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation in the presence of DTMPA and molecular oxygen at various temperatures. In the presence of DTMPA the lignin was found to undergo increasing levels of oxidation and degradation with increasing temperature. At 110 degrees C over 80% of the kraft lignin was degraded. Analysis of the degraded lignin indicated that both phenolic and nonphenolic lignin moieties were degraded. At 90 degrees C the addition of molecular oxygen resulted in further lignin demethoxylation, but did not decrease the amount of phenolic hydroxyl groups or hydrogen peroxide consumed. In the absence of DTMPA the hydrogen peroxide was rapidly degraded, and accompanied by only minimal lignin oxidation.