Analytical methodology for sulfonated lignins

There is a significant need to characterize and classify lignins and sulfonated lignins. Lignins have so far received a good deal of attention, whereas this is not true for sulfonated lignins. There is a clear demand for a better understanding of sulfonated lignins on a chemical as well as physical level. Many of the analytical methods have been developed with different goals in mind, for example, detection of sulfonated lignins in pulp-mill effluents, elucidation of structural changes in lignosulfonates during a pulping process, or identification of properties that may affect a formulation when sulfonated lignins are used as a dispersant. When sulfonated lignins are used in industrial applications, analytical data obtained using different techniques may be necessary to enable prediction of their behavior in the target application. In the present review, a critical discussion of established and promising analytical techniques for the characterization of sulfonated lignins is presented.