aliphatic sidechain. Uses LS and SL have a wide variety of applications. They are used to stably disperse pesticides, dyes, carbon black, and other insoluble solids and liquids into water. As a binder it suppresses dust on unpaved roads. It is also a humectant and a in water treatment. Chemically, it may be used as a tannin for tanning leather and as a feedstock for a variety of products. Dispersant The single largest use for lignosulfonates is as plasticizers in making concrete, where they allow concrete to be made with less water (giving stronger concrete) while maintaining the ability of the concrete to flow. Lignosulfonates are also used during the production of cement, where they act as grinding aids in the cement mill and as a rawmix slurry deflocculant (that reduces the viscosity of the slurry). Lignosulfonates are also used for the production of plasterboard to reduce the amount of water required to make the stucco flow and form the layer between two sheets of paper. The reduction in water content allows lower kiln temperatures to dry the plasterboard, saving energy. The ability of lignosulfonates to reduce the viscosity of mineral slurries (deflocculation) is used to advantage in oil drilling mud, where it replaced tannic acids from quebracho (a tropical tree). Furthermore, lignosulphates are being researched for use in enhanced oil recovery (EOR) due to their ability to reduce IFT in foams, allowing for improved sweep efficiency, and hence increased recovery factor. Binder Besides their use as dispersants lignosulfonates are also good binders. They are used as binders in well-paper, particle boards, linoleum flooring, coal briquettes, and roads. They also form a constituent of the paste used to coat the lead-antimony-calcium or lead-antimony-selenium grids in a Lead-acid battery. Aqueous lignosulfonate solutions are also widely used as a non-toxic dust suppression agent for unpaved road surfaces, where it is popularly, if erroneously, called "tree sap". Roads treated with lignosulfonates can be distinguished from those treated with calcium chloride by color: lignosulfonates give the road surface a dark grey color, while calcium chloride lend the road surface a distinctive tan or brown color. As lignosulfonates do not rely on water to provide their binding properties, they tend to be more useful in arid locations. It is used as a soil stabilizer. Chemical feedstock Oxidation of lignosulfonates from softwood trees produced vanillin (artificial vanilla flavor). Dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfoxide (an important organic