Lignosulfonate introduction2

Lignosulfonate introduction

Copy from Wikipedia

Lignosulfonate: Any of several substances manufactured from waste liquor of the sulfate pulping process of soft wood; used in the petroleum industry to reduce the viscosity of oil well muds and slurries, and as extenders in glues, synthetic resins, and cements. 

Lignosulfonates, or sulfonated lignin, (CAS number 8062-15-5) are water-soluble anionic polyelectrolyte polymers: they are byproducts from the production of wood pulp using sulfite pulping.^[1]

Most delignification in sulfite pulping involves acidic cleavage of ether bonds, which connect many of the constituents of lignin.^[2] The electrophilic carbocations produced during ether cleavage react with bisulfite ions (HSO₃^-) to give sulfonates.

R-O-R' + H⁺ → R⁺ + R'OH

R⁺ + HSO₃^- → R-SO₃H

The primary site for ether cleavage is the α-carbon (carbon atom attached to the aromatic ring) of the propyl (linear three carbon) side chain. The following structures do not specify the structure since lignin and its derivatives are complex mixtures: the purpose is to give a general idea of the structure of lignosulfonates. The groups labeled "Q" can be a wide variety of groups found in the structure of lignin. Sulfonation occurs on the side chains, not on the aromatic rings, like in p-toluenesulfonic acid.

Lignosulfonate have very broad ranges of molecular mass (they are very polydisperse). A range of from 1000–140,000 da has been reported for softwood lignosulfonates with lower values reported for hardwoods.

Preparation

Lignosulfonates are recovered from the spent pulping liquids (red or brown liquor) from sulfite pulping. The most widely used industrial process is the Howard process, in which 90–95% yields of calcium lignosulfonates (CAS number 904-76-3), are precipitated by adding of excess calcium hydroxide. Ultrafiltration and ion-exchange can also be used to separate lignosulfonates from the spent pulping liquid. A list of CAS numbers for the various metal salts of lignosulfonate is available.

Uses

Lignosulfonates have a wide variety of applications.^[

The single largest use for lignosulfonates is as plasticizers in making concrete, where they allow concrete to be made with less water (giving stronger concrete) while maintaining the ability of the concrete to flow. Lignosulfonates are also used during the production of cement, where they act as grinding aids in the cement mill and as a rawmix slurry deflocculant (that reduces the viscosity of the slurry).

Lignosulfonates are also used for the production of plasterboard to reduce the amount of water required to make the stucco flow and form the layer between two sheets of paper. The reduction in water content allows lower kiln temperatures to dry the plasterboard, saving energy.

The ability of lignosulfonates to reduce the viscosity of mineral slurries is used to advantage in oil drilling mud, where it replaced tannic acids from quebracho (a tropical tree).

Lignosulfonates are used to disperse pesticides, dyes carbon black and other insoluble solids and liquids into water. They are used in tanning leather. They are also used to suppress dust on unpaved roads.^[

Oxidation of lignosulfonates from softwood trees produced vanillin (artificial vanilla flavor)

Dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfoxide (an important organic solvent) are produced from lignosulfonates. The first step involves heating lignosulfonates with sulfides or elemental sulfur to produce dimethyl sulfide. The methyl groups come from methyl ethers present in the lignin. Oxidation of dimethyl sulfide with nitrogen dioxide produces dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO).

Also one of the very wide uses of lignosulfonates is deflocculation of clays used in drilling fluids in the oil and gas industry.

Suifenhe wanfengyuan economic and trade co.,ltd. specialize in producing all kinds of lignosulfonate, especially ferrochrome lignosulfonate, for more information, welcome to visit our website: www.wfychina.com or contact email: banmutang2003@gmail.com

Lignosulfonate introduction

Lignosulfonate introduction

Copy from KEMI

Lignosulfonates are when traded a brown amorphous powder. They have no odour and they are not hygroscopic. They form colloidal solutions or dispersions with water but are not soluble in organic solvents. Lignosulfonates are biopolymers; they are salts of lignosulfonic acid that has been formed when pulp is manufactured by the sulphite method. The lignosulfonates are of varied composition because the woods are different, the extent of the lignin degradation can be different and a different number of sulfonic groups can have been added. Lignin is a polymer with a most varied length and composition, a fundamental structure being hydroxyphenyl propane. It contains many phenolic rings and methoxy groups, the figure gives one example. The distribution of unpolar and polar groups, including the hydroxyl and sulfonic acid groups formed at the degradation, decides the properties of the particular lignosulfonate. 

Lignosulfonates are precipitated as calcium salts from spent process liquid, black liquid, from sulphite plants by means of lime, 90-95 % of the lignosulfonate is gained. Sometimes sugar from the spent lye will occur as a pollutant. Lignin containing sulfonic acid groups can also be made from lignin won from black liquid from the sulfate process for pulping that is more common in Sweden and is then called sulfonated lignin. Such sulphate lignin has a more uniform composition than sulfite lignin. 
World production of lignosulfonates is estimated to be about 800,000 tonnes and of sulphonated lignine 15,000 tonnes.

Lignosulfonates are used because of their not particularly powerful surface-active properties. To enhance these properties lignosulfonates are sometimes derivated with long aryl amines or by ethoxylation. Lignosulfonate is possible to use as initial material to make vanillin.

Lignosulfonate is used in many processes and products and seems to be a chemical under considerable development. It works on the surface of particles, both in dry systems and in water solutions. In dry systems lignosulfonate forms a layer on the particle surface, thus increasing the particle size and making the particles bind together. In water solutions the hydrophobic parts of the molecules bind to the dispersed particle, while the hydrophilic part bind towards water and thus the particle is kept in solution. The largest use of this substance is as a cement additive where it binds to the surface of the cement particles and delays the absorption of water, which is the hardening. The additive also influences the structure of the hardened cement. This is also used in lead batteries where some tenth of a percent of lignosulfonate acts on crystallisation of the lead sulphate so that the battery gets a much longer life-time. Lignosulfonate is used as a filler and binder in ceramic tiles, resins to fibre boards, casting sand and in fodder pellets. A large use is for dust-laying on roads as well as in dusty processes within industry. Lignosulfonate is used as a dispersant in products like fodder, dyes and industrial cleaners. It is used in industrial management of slurry, where addition of the substance facilitates pumping and separation of water in e.g. concrete. Lignosulfonates also have complexing properties and are used in ppm-concentrations to prevent scaling in hot and cooling waters and to keep micro-nutrients in solution in liquid fertilizers. 

We specialize exporting China lignosulfonate, especially ferrochrome lignosulfonate, for more information, welcome to visit our website:www.wfychina.com or contact me by email:banmutang2003@gmail.com

Lignosulfonate for drilling is very tight in China since Dec.2012

since Dec.,2012, lignosulfonate for drilling(including ferrochrome lignosulfonate, chrome lignosulfonate, chrome free lignosulfonate, calcium lignosulfonate)has become very tight in China, price of it keep increasing,even at high price, some customers couldn't get  enough cargo.
the main reason is it's main raw material---waste liquid from paper making industry is less. China paper plant are facing big difficulty in selling out paper and lignin fiber, because the imported paper and fiber has much cheaper price, they are selling  main products on loss basis, the more cargo they sell, the more money they lose . then someone is doubt, if lose money, why these plants close? it is not so easy to do it, usually paper plant is very big, has employed hundreds of workers, if it closed, how they solve the life of their workers, it will be a big project.

waste liquid from paper making industry, as the by-product, though it has good market, but because main products are losing money, the production of it become less and less.

in the past, in China,only two paper plants could supply raw material for lignosulfonate,drilling grade, because the lignosulfonate, drilling grade must use the waste liquid from acid way(sodium sulfide) paper making process, and this way pollute environment. however, as the reasons i state above, these two plants combine into one plant(hereinafter called BL), and that one plant want to monoply the lignosulfonate market.
if lignosulfonate plant couldn't sell the price above the line that raw material BL plant set, BL plant won't supply raw material to them.

compared with price in 2012, lignosulfonate, drilling grade price has increased by around 20%.

in short time, this situation won't change. hope customer could slowly accept the price.
if u need lignosulfonate, welcome to contact me: Email:banmutang2003@gmail.com.
to know more details about our product and company, welcome to visit our website:www.wfychina.com