Patent ID: 8992688
Filing Date: 2015-03-31
Classification: C08B,C08H

Abstract:
1. A method of removing lignin, the method comprising the steps of: acidifying a plant matter derived water-based lignin bearing suspension to a pH lower than the minimum pH required to dissolve lignin, said pH being no higher than 9.5, and adding coagulant to the lignin bearing suspension to effect a phase separation between a lignin bearing phase and an aqueous phase said phase separation characterized as separating at least 80% of the lignin from the aqueous phase within 5 minutes of the acidification, wherein in the absence of the coagulant, separated lignin would otherwise have remained in the aqueous phase as a suspension for more than 5 minutes and wherein the suspension before acidification contains at least 10% of the lignin originally present in the plant matter the suspension was derived from.