Lignin, a plant constituent, is the second most abundant biopolymer on earth. Every year, the pulp and paper industry generates over 45 million metric tons of lignin as a by-product of chemical wood pulps and uses about 10 million metric tons of lignin as a component of mechanical wood pulps. The majority of the by-product lignin is being used internally as a low-grade fuel for the chemical pulping operation, while the lignin-rich mechanical wood pulps are being used mainly to make short-life paper products such as newsprint and telephone directories because of the light-instability of lignin. There is a tremendous economic incentive to find better uses of lignin and to expand the markets of mechanical wood pulps.
In Asia and other areas of the world where forest resources are less abundant, non-wood plant materials such as straw and bamboo have been used to make paper products for many centuries. The effective isolation and product development of lignin from chemical pulping of non-wood materials have become increasingly more important because internal use of the non-wood pulping spent liquors is difficult and the traditional way of discharging them to the environment is no longer acceptable.
This volume covers recent developments in chemical modification and utilization of lignin as a component of polymeric materials such as starch films, conducting polymers, polyurethanes and thermoplastics, and as a key building block to make carbon fibers, soil conditioners, nitrogenous fertilizers, and pulping catalysts. It also describes recent advances in chemical modification of lignin aimed at the photostabilization and upgrading of lignin-rich mechanical wood pulp and paper.

One of the most significant challenges facing mankind in the twenty-first century is the development of a sustainable global economy. Within the scientific community, this calls for the development of processes and technologies that will allow the sustainable production of materials from renewable natural resources. Plant material, in particular lignin, is one such resource. During the annual production of about 100 million metric tons of chemical wood pulps worldwide, approximately 45 and 2 million metric tons/year of kraft lignin and lignosulfonates, respectively, are also generated. Although lignosulfonates have found many applications outside the pulp and paper industry, the majority of kraft lignin is being used internally as a low-grade fuel for the kraft pulping operation. A surplus of kraft lignin will become available as kraft mills increase their pulp production without expanding the capacity of their recovery boilers that utilize lignin as a fuel. There is a tremendous opportunity and an enormous economic incentive to find better uses of kraft lignin, lignosulfonates and other industriallignins. The pulp and paper industry not only produces an enormous amount of lignins as by products of chemical wood pulps, but it also utilizes about 10 million metric tons of lignin per year as a component of mechanical wood pulps and papers. Mechanical wood pulps, produced in a yield of 90-98% with the retention of lignin, are mainly used to make low-quality, non-permanent papers such as newsprint and telephone directories because of the light-induced photooxidation of lignin and the yellowing of the papers.