Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector

Developing sustainable construction materials is important to help reduce the anthropogenic impacts of the construction industry. Currently, the production of concrete accounts for 8 % of global carbon emissions. Therefore, alternatives to concrete must be developed, to reduce its use in the future....

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Main Authors: Barney H. Miao, Robert J. Headrick, Zhiye Li, Leonardo Spanu, David J. Loftus, Michael D. Lepech
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-12-01
Series:Cleaner Materials
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772397624000637
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author Barney H. Miao
Robert J. Headrick
Zhiye Li
Leonardo Spanu
David J. Loftus
Michael D. Lepech
author_facet Barney H. Miao
Robert J. Headrick
Zhiye Li
Leonardo Spanu
David J. Loftus
Michael D. Lepech
author_sort Barney H. Miao
collection DOAJ
description Developing sustainable construction materials is important to help reduce the anthropogenic impacts of the construction industry. Currently, the production of concrete accounts for 8 % of global carbon emissions. Therefore, alternatives to concrete must be developed, to reduce its use in the future. New construction materials will help to facilitate a green transition as envisioned in global climate initiatives. Materials such as lignin are ideal, as they can be implemented with little additional cost to manufacture construction materials. We introduce a novel material, lignin-based biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC), which is similar to other BSCs using other types of biopolymers. In addition, a design methodology is presented, which allows the manufacture of lignin-based BSCs with tailored characteristics. Two kinds of lignin — hydrolysis lignin and alkali lignin — were investigated, with five mix designs developed for each type of lignin. The lignin-based BSCs were found to have compressive strength ranging from 1.6–8.1 MPa, which allows them to be implemented in non-structural construction applications. Ultimate compressive strength, density, and other parameters were measured, leading to the development of design relationships for lignin-based BSC. The design relationships presented in this study will help introduce lignin-based BSC as a sustainable form of construction.
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publishDate 2024-12-01
publisher Elsevier
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spelling doaj-art-e5452c7edfe34dba98bf1e48e5b25b9a2025-08-20T01:58:31ZengElsevierCleaner Materials2772-39762024-12-011410027910.1016/j.clema.2024.100279Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sectorBarney H. Miao0Robert J. Headrick1Zhiye Li2Leonardo Spanu3David J. Loftus4Michael D. Lepech5Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, United States of America; Corresponding authors.Shell International Exploration & Production Inc, Houston, TX 77082, United States of AmericaDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, United States of AmericaShell International Exploration & Production Inc, Houston, TX 77082, United States of AmericaNASA Ames Research Center, De France Ave, Moffett Field, CA 94035, United States of America; Corresponding authors.Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, United States of AmericaDeveloping sustainable construction materials is important to help reduce the anthropogenic impacts of the construction industry. Currently, the production of concrete accounts for 8 % of global carbon emissions. Therefore, alternatives to concrete must be developed, to reduce its use in the future. New construction materials will help to facilitate a green transition as envisioned in global climate initiatives. Materials such as lignin are ideal, as they can be implemented with little additional cost to manufacture construction materials. We introduce a novel material, lignin-based biopolymer-bound soil composite (BSC), which is similar to other BSCs using other types of biopolymers. In addition, a design methodology is presented, which allows the manufacture of lignin-based BSCs with tailored characteristics. Two kinds of lignin — hydrolysis lignin and alkali lignin — were investigated, with five mix designs developed for each type of lignin. The lignin-based BSCs were found to have compressive strength ranging from 1.6–8.1 MPa, which allows them to be implemented in non-structural construction applications. Ultimate compressive strength, density, and other parameters were measured, leading to the development of design relationships for lignin-based BSC. The design relationships presented in this study will help introduce lignin-based BSC as a sustainable form of construction.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772397624000637LigninSustainable constructionBiopolymer-bound soil compositeSustainable material developmentLignin-based material designGreen transition
spellingShingle Barney H. Miao
Robert J. Headrick
Zhiye Li
Leonardo Spanu
David J. Loftus
Michael D. Lepech
Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
Cleaner Materials
Lignin
Sustainable construction
Biopolymer-bound soil composite
Sustainable material development
Lignin-based material design
Green transition
title Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
title_full Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
title_fullStr Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
title_full_unstemmed Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
title_short Development of biopolymer composites using lignin: A sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
title_sort development of biopolymer composites using lignin a sustainable technology for fostering a green transition in the construction sector
topic Lignin
Sustainable construction
Biopolymer-bound soil composite
Sustainable material development
Lignin-based material design
Green transition
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772397624000637
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