After cellulose, lignin is the most commonly used natural polymer in green biomaterials. Pulp and paper mills and emerging cellulosic biorefineries are the main sources of technical lignin. However, only 2–5% of lignin has been converted into biomaterials. Making lignin-based polymer biocomposites to replace petroleum-based composites has piqued the interest of many researchers worldwide due to the positive environmental impact of traditional composites over time. In composite development, lignin is being used as a filler in commercial polymers to improve biodegradability and possibly lower production costs. As a natural polymer, lignin may have different properties depending on the isolation method and source, affecting polymer-based composites. The application has been affected by the characteristics of lignin and the uniform distribution of lignin in polymers. The review’s goal was to provide an overview of technical lignin extraction, properties, and its potential appropriate utilization. It was also planned to revisit the lignin-based composites’ preparation procedure as well as their composite characteristics. Solvent casting and extrusion methods are used to fabricate lignin from polymeric matrices such as polypropylene, epoxy, polyvinyl alcohol, polylactic acid, starch, wood fiber, natural rubber, and chitosan. Packaging, biomedical materials, automotive, advanced biocomposites, flame retardant, and other applications for lignin-based composites has existed. As a result, the technology is still being refined to increase the performance of lignin-based biocomposites in several applications. This review could assist explain lignin’s position as a composite additive, which could lead to more efficient processing and application strategies.

Biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers represent an eco-friendly and inexpensive alternative to conventional petroleum-based materials and have been increasingly utilized in a wide variety of industrial applications due to their numerous advantages, such as their good mechanical properties, low production costs, renewability, and biodegradability. However, these engineered composite materials have inherent downsides, such as their increased flammability when subjected to heat flux or flame initiators, which can limit their range of applications. As a result, certain attempts are still being made to reduce the flammability of biocomposites. The combustion of biobased composites can potentially create life-threatening conditions in buildings, resulting in substantial human and material losses. Additives known as flame-retardants (FRs) have been commonly used to improve the fire protection of wood and biocomposite materials, textiles, and other fields for the purpose of widening their application areas. At present, this practice is very common in the construction sector due to stringent fire safety regulations on residential and public buildings. The aim of this study was to present and discuss recent advances in the development of fire-resistant biocomposites. The flammability of wood and natural fibers as material resources to produce biocomposites was researched to build a holistic picture. Furthermore, the potential of lignin as an eco-friendly and low-cost FR additive to produce high-performance biocomposites with improved technological and fire properties was also discussed in detail. The development of sustainable FR systems, based on renewable raw materials, represents a viable and promising approach to manufacturing biocomposites with improved fire resistance, lower environmental footprint, and enhanced health and safety performance.

A total of 17 softwoods and 48 hardwoods were analyzed by IR spectroscopy to examine if syringyl ratio (syringyl/(syringyl+guaiacyl)) calculated from nitrobenzene oxidation products can be precisely expressed by area ratios of characteristic peaks of lignin in IR spectrum. Area ratio of two peaks is referred to as that of two wavenumber domains, represented by “wavenumber 1/ wavenumber 2.” Examined peak area ratios were 1595/1509, 1509/1460, 1275/1220, 1130/1032, and 835/(855+815). Among these ratios, log(1595/1509) and log(1275/1220) showed significant linear relationship with the syringyl ratios with a correlation coefficient of 0.98 for all 65 woods. These two ratios could also be used to distinguish all the hardwoods from the softwoods.

The proportion of erythro- and threo-forms of β-O-4-structures in lignin was elucidated by ozonation analysis of 21 wood species, and the relationship to the syringyl and guaiacyl composition was investigated. For all hardwood species, the erythro-form of β-O-4-structures predominated, although the extent varied widely, depending on wood species. In contrast, the proportion and amount of erythro- and threo-forms were very similar in all softwood species. The proportion of the erythro-form was greater in species with a higher methoxyl content in the lignin (correlation coefficient, R²=0.83). The S/V ratio (molar ratio of syringaldehyde and syringic acid to that of vanillin and vanillic acid) obtained by nitrobenzene oxidation was also strongly correlated with the proportion of the erythro-form (R²=0.99). Accordingly, the syringyl/guaiacyl ratio is closely related to the erythro/threo ratio. This stereochemical characteristic of β-O-4-structures is discussed in relation to the process of lignin formation.

The composition and absolute amount of neutral sugars were determined for 48 hardwood species (including 17 hardwoods of genera Acacia, 14 hardwoods of genera Eucalyptus, and 17 hardwoods of other genera) and 14 softwood species by alditol-acetate method, and their relationships to the syringyl ratio (syringyl/(syringyl+guaiacyl)) of lignin, which was determined by nitrobenzene oxidation, was investigated. In the hardwood species, an increase in the syringy ratio of lignin correlated with a tendency toward increased xylose/glucose, rhamnose/glucose, and arabinose/glucose ratios. However, the absolute amount of glucose in hardwood was maintained in a small range (0.4–0.5 g in 1 g sample), independent of changes in the syringyl ratio. In the softwood species, with increasing lignin content, the mannose/glucose ratio decreased, but the absolute amount of glucose remained almost constant. In both hardwood and softwood species, a strong correlation was suggested between lignin, indicated by higher syringy ratio, and hemicellulose, indicated by higher xylan/mannan ratio.