Polyether-lignin compositions

A water-soluble resinous composition comprises a water-soluble polyether which contains an average of at least 400 non-cyclic aliphatic oxygen ether groups, and lignin or a lignin derivative. The lignins include waste liquor from alkali and sulphite wood-pulping, the solid contents thereof, and ligno sulphonic acids and salts. The polyethers are preferably polymers or copolymers of alkylene oxides having molecular weights between 18,000 and 10 million; specified oxides are ethylene, propylene, styrene and chlorostyrene oxides, epoxybutanes and epoxypentanes. They may also be condensates of these oxides with mono or poly-hydric alcohols, phenols, sugars, novolaks, polyvinyl alcohol, polyamides, cellulose derivatives, polycarboxylic acids &c. Polyalkylene glycols which have been reacted with diisocyanates or diepoxides are also suitable. Also mentioned are phosphoric acid-diethylene glycol polyesters, methyl celluloses and polydioxolane. Aqueous compositions may be prepared by adding the polyether to the lignin liquor. If the conditions are strongly acidic, precipitation occurs to give a solid composition of polyether and lignin. Solid compositions may also be obtained by mixing powdered polyether with lignin solids or by mechanically blending water gels of the two components with evaporation of water, e.g. under vacuum. The aqueous compositions generally contain 0,05 to 65% total solids, with 0,1 to 99,5% of the solids being the polyether. The compositions may also contain a resinous polycarboxylic acid in amount of, for example, 1 to 50% of the total solids. Examples of such acids are polymers of acrylic acid and its derivatives, their copolymers with other vinyl compounds, and carboxyalkylation products of polyvinyl alcohols. The compositions are used for forming films and moulded products, as adhesives, coatings, and binders, e.g. for soil. Many examples are given.ALSO:Lignin and lignosulphonates are precipitated from sulphite spent liquors by adding a polyether which contains at least an average of 400 non-cyclic aliphatic oxygen ether groups, in an amount of 0.5 to 50% based on the weight of solids in the liquor. The pH should be below 3 except in the case of lignosulphonates derived from alkali lignin when it may be up to 11. A preferred method uses 5-20 parts of aqueous 1% solution of polyethylene oxide of molecular weight between 18,000 and 10 million, containing a mineral acid, added to 100 parts of liquor of 10% solids. Example 14 also describes t