Presentation: 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual conference 

October 21, 2025, NDSU Memorial Union, Fargo, North Dakota

Parallel GC-MS/mFID for Simultaneous Identification and Quantification of Lignin Thermal Breakdown Products

Lignin is one of the three main components in plant biomass, along with cellulose and hemicellulose. Thus, lignin is an extremely abundant material in nature and a byproduct of the chemical pulping process in the paper industry. Lignin itself is an aromatic biopolymer, making it a viable feedstock for renewable chemicals or fuels, attracting many valorization opportunities. However, lignin’s recalcitrant and complex structure brings major challenges to successful utilization. Narrow profit margins and complex conversion processes require a highly optimized lignin conversion process to develop valorized lignin materials. In this study, we evaluated the ability of a methanizer flame ionization detector (mFID) to quantify lignin thermal degradation products. We established a universal mFID response for lignin pyrolysis products, confirming the quantitative capabilities of the mFID. The addition of a separation technique allowed simultaneous identification using parallel mFID and mass spectrometry (MS) detectors in a gas chromatography (GC) system for both thermal desorption (TD) and pyrolysis (Py) products. Bulk carbon analysis was achieved through evolved gas analysis (EGA) without the need for chromatographic separation, with only a single external calibration. Using TD-Py-GC-MS/mFID, a single internal standard is capable of quantifying all carbon-containing lignin thermal degradation products. With this successful method, lignin conversion processes can be monitored for carbon conversion and product identification through a single analysis.