Lignin is a complex chemical compound and the only aromatic polymer present in wood; it is concentrated mainly in the region of the middle lamella. The amount of lignin in normal wood is 20%-35% depending on the different wood species. (Glennie & McCarthy 1962.) Lignin is bound together to the cellulose and hemicelluloses. The position of lignin within lignocellulosic matrix can be seen in the Figure 2.2. As it is illustrated in the Figure 2.2, lignocellulosic matrix is a complex structure in which the cellulose is surrounded by a monolayer of hemicellulose and embedded in a matrix of hemicellulose and lignin. Furthermore lignin specifically creates a barrier to enzymatic attack while the highly crystalline structure of cellulose is insoluble in water, then the hemicellulose and lignin create a
protective sheath around the cellulose. (Stenius 2000.) In general, lignins are roughly classified into three major groups: softwood, hardwood, and grass lignins. Besides these native lignins, which are typically separated from the wood in the form of "milled wood lignin" (MWL), "dioxane lignin", or "enzymically liberated lignin", there are several industrially based 9 technical lignins that are by-products of the chemical pulping. Kraft lignin (or sulfate lignin), alkali lignin (or soda lignin), and lignosulfonates are derived from Kraft, soda-AQ, and sulfite pulping of wood, respectively. (Stenius 2000.) Most isolated lignins are brown amorphous powders. Depending on the preparation method used and on the fraction represented of the total lignin, there are some changes correspondingly in color and shape. The molecular weight, or average molecular weight, is a particularly important characteristic property of a lignin. Another important property of lignin is its capacity to absorb ultraviolet light. When the intensity of absorption is plotted against a given wavelength of ultraviolet light, an ultraviolet spectrum curve for the lignin is obtained. According to the type of lignin, the lignin solvent, and the pH of the solution and lignin structure, the shape of this curve may change. (Glennie & McCarthy 1962.)