Sustainable partial replacement of asphalt binder with lignin recovered from paper industry waste

Rodríguez W.; Ponce S.; Rivera J.; Torres T.; Sevillano M.; Meza F.; Albornoz L.; Pocohuanca I.; Martínez S.; Miranda M. · Innovative Infrastructure Solutions (2026) · DOI: 10.1007/s41062-026-02834-4

Resumen

The paper manufacturing process generates substantial volumes of black liquor, a by-product rich in lignin, whose valorisation offers a sustainable alternative for the partial replacement of bitumen. Although lignin has been investigated for asphalt applications, the use of recovered black liquor lignin and its direct comparison with commercial lignin remain insufficiently explored. This study evaluates the feasibility of partially replacing bitumen with lignin extracted from black liquor (BLL) via the Kraft process, comparing its performance with that of a commercial organosolv lignin (COL). Both lignins were characterised using spectroscopic, thermal, and microstructural techniques to assess chemical compatibility and physical stability. An 85/100 penetration-grade binder was partially replaced with lignin contents ranging from 7.5 to 15% by weight of bitumen and evaluated using conventional physical tests to identify maximum feasible replacement levels. Based on these results, maximum feasible contents of 8.5% for BLL and 10% for COL were selected and further assessed using multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) testing and linear amplitude sweep (LAS) analysis. At 70 °C, the binder containing COL exhibited a 37.8% lower non-recoverable compliance than BLL, indicating superior resistance to permanent deformation, while BLL satisfied performance criteria under moderate service conditions. Fatigue analysis revealed strain-dependent behaviour, with COL increasing fatigue life by 33% at low strain levels (2.5%), whereas BLL showed greater stability at higher strain levels. These results demonstrate the feasibility of valorising black liquor lignin as a sustainable partial bitumen replacement and provide a binder-level basis for future mixture-level and field-scale studies. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos; Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas; Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola; Universidad de Lima