University of Tennessee Researchers Turn Lignin into Mulch Film

In biofuel production, lignin, a pulpy, fibrous mass remaining after plants are processed, is a waste product. It is abundant, so finding a use for it holds potential.

Tony Bova and Jeff Beegle, a pair of doctoral candidates in the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education in University of Tennesse has developed a process to turn lignin into large rolls of mulch film that farmers use to block weeds, retain moisture and soil temperature, and improve crop yield.

Currently, only 2 percent of lignin winds up in commercial use, with the vast majority of it making its way to landfills or being burned by producers as a low value fuel. At the same time, farmers spend as much as $300 per acre to dispose of the current plastic they use on their crops.

 "Our product would be able to be plowed into farmers' soils after harvest, where it would degrade naturally and save them all of the money they currently spend on removal and disposal," said Bova.