in alkali followed by ion chromatography a 0 1 g sample of the acetylated lignin was placed in a test tube heated progressively and observed at 250 u00b0 c the acetylated lignin showed some softening and it then charred no lignin fiber could be drawn from this sample a 2 g sample of lignin from example 1 was suspended in 10 ml of acetic anhydride in a test tube no catalyst was used the suspension was heated for 2 hours at 80 u00b0 c the acetic anhydride was evaporated off the lignin was washed with methanol and air dried the acetyl content was 19 3 as measured by de acetylation in alkali followed by ion chromatography a 0 1 g sample of the acetylated lignin was placed in a test tube and heated at 220 u00b0 c the acetylated lignin melted smoothly without the production of volatiles a thin filament could be drawn smoothly from the molten lignin 300 mg of acetylated lignin prepared as in example 3 was spread out on a watch glass placed in a vacuum furnace the furnace was heated to 140 u00b0 c and evacuated to u2212 0 8 bar the sample remained in the furnace for one hour this dried the lignin and removed any volatiles the dried lignin was ground with a pestle in a mortar to a size to pass a 100 mesh screen.