Sustainable Protective Composite Textiles: Valorizing Hemp Hurd and Corn Stover Lignin via Electrospinning

Valorization of abundant agricultural residues, particularly lignin, provides the opportunity to divert waste streams while enabling materials to inherently exhibit durable functionalities, including UV-blocking, antioxidant properties and water repellency. This study reports the side-by-side valorization of hemp hurd (HL) and corn stover lignin (CL), extracted using the CELF process, into electrospun lignin/nylon 6 nanofiber membranes, establishing how lignin botanical origin, molecular weight (Mw), and blend ratio govern multifunctional performance relevant to protective membranes in textiles. Lignin–nylon 6 hydrogen bonding was regulated by the OH content and accessibility, Mw, and purity, and influenced the functional properties of the fibers. While stronger in low-Mw nanofibers, these interactions were weakest in low-Mw HL samples due to the lowest purity, despite the highest OH content. Fibers with low-Mw lignin yielded finer, brittle fibers with higher UV blocking, whereas high-Mw fractions showed higher antioxidant performance due to decreased interactions with nylon 6. Overall, lignin/nylon 6 nanofiber membranes delivered biobased UPF 50+ performance, 55–61% antioxidant activity at the optimal concentration, and exhibited tunable water repellency via fraction selection and the blend ratio. In combination with a nanofiber architecture, these membranes can impart durable inherent functionality onto textile substrates without affecting their existing properties, including water vapor permeability, without the use of chemical finishing, while utilizing renewable resources from agricultural residues.