Turning shortcomings of lignin to advantages for green anti-corrosion and anti-wear coatings

Lignin is widely available as a waste product of plant retrieving industries, but the most poorly utilised lignocellulosic biomass.

Although it has a range of excellent properties, including anti-corrosion and anti-wear, applying lignin in surface coatings is hindered by its poor film formation property.

Mussel adhesive proteins (MAP) are film-forming proteins that can adsorb to and modify virtually all types of surfaces, and they show great potential to address this obstacle.In this project, we will use the unique chemistry of both lignin and MAP to provide a novel route to modify lignin into multifunctional compounds for applications in coatings and produce lignin-based coatings, which will largely replace toxic, hazardous and fossil-based substances.

We will elucidate the chemical interactions between lignin and MAP and define the conditions under which the coatings present optimal structure and performance.

We will also investigate the corrosion and wear processes to gain insights into the underlying mechanisms and the anti-corrosion and anti-wear properties of the coatings.The overall goal of this project is to demonstrate the great potential of using lignin as a multifunctional material in the coating industry.

In a longer perspective, the aim is to increase the market value of renewable bio-resources in this broad application area, thereby contributing to the sustainable development of the society.