Changes of crystallinity in wood cellulose by heat treatment under dried and moist conditions

The different effects of heat treatment on wood, especially on the cellulose crystallites of wood under ovendried and highly moist conditions, were investigated by X-ray diffractometer. Heat was found to increase significantly the crystallinity of wood cellulose; moreover, almost twice as much crystallization was observed after heat treatment of spruce and buna under a highly moist condition than under the oven-dried condition. In pure cellulose almost the same crystallization was observed under both the conditions, whereas more crystallization occurred in wood cellulose than in pure cellulose. Absolute crystallization was observed for the wood species and pure cellulose under both conditions, considering the thermal decomposition of the amorphous region in addition to crystallization. Our results suggested that other components accomparying wood cellulose were involved in the increase of crystallinity by heat treatment, and that wood cellulose contained more quasicrystalline regions than pure cellulose. Moreover, calculated apparent activation energies revealed that crystallization and decrystallization in pure and wood cellulose under heat treatment of highly moist condition were some-what easier than those under the oven-dried condition. The behavior of the piezoelectric modulusd ₂₅ almost paralleled that of crystallinity.     

Effect of intermittent heat treatment on crystallinity in wood cellulose

The effect of intermittent heat treatment on cellulose crystallites in wood was studied to evaluate quantitatively the changes of crystallinity induced by intermittent and continuous heating. The changes in crystallinity were found to be strongly affected by the intermittent heat treatment. The increased crystallinity, the width of the crystals, and the piezoelectric properties were the same for the first intermittent heating as for continuous heating. Further intermittent heating for the same time duration and temperature had no effect on the above properties, probably due to the stopping of the thermal reaction during the interval. Our results suggested that intermittent heat treatment has certain critical cooling temperatures that stop the thermal reaction and are closely related to the duration of the interval. Samples once exposed to a certain duration of heat treatment and then cooled need more time, about twice that of the first duration of intermittent heating compared with continuous heating, to reach maximum crystallinity in wood cellulose.     

Vibrational properties of heat-treated green wood

To investigate the influence of water on heat treatment, green wood was heat-treated. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) with about 60% moisture content (MC) was used. Young's modulus and loss tangent were measured by the free-free flexural vibration test. The specimens were heated in nitrogen at 160°C for 0.5h. The results were as follows. (1) Recognizing that the effects of heat treatment are mild and that the same specimens cannot be used for both heat treatment and as controls, it was necessary to investigate the effects of the heat treatment based on the variations of properties in the whole of the test lumber. (2) Young's modulus increased and the loss tangent decreased due to heat treatment. When the vibrational properties were measured at various MCs, the MCs at the maximum value of Young's modulus and the minimum value of the loss tangent were lower in heat-treated specimens than in controls. The effects of heat treatment in green wood were similar to those in air-dried wood. (3) The loss tangents of heat-treated specimens were smaller than those of controls at about 0% MC but were larger than those of controls at about 10% MC. We thought that this resulted from the decreased MC at the minimum loss tangent after the heat treatment mentioned above. (4) The properties measured at several MCs were more useful than those at only one moisture content for investigating the effects of heat treatment.This study was presented in part at the 46th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kumamoto, April 3–5, 1996; and at the 47th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kochi, April 3–5, 1997     

AN ANALYSIS OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFERPHENOMENON IN WOOD DURING DRYING

INTRODUCTIONTheconventionaltwingmethodisgener-all3usedduringwoocldryinginChinaandothercountriesatpresent.Fluidvelocity,tem-peratUreandrelativehumidityofdryingmediaarecontrolledmainlybymoisbecontentofwood'dunngwtingprocess.Soitisveryim-portanttounderstandthephenomenonofheatandmasstransferinwoodduringdIyingproc-essformakingreasonablythewtingtechnoI-ogy-controlwtingprocess,heightenwtingquality'.decreasewtingenergyconsumptionanddiminishwtingtime.Thephenomenonofheatandmasstrans-ferinwooddurin…     

Bending strength and toughness of heat-treated wood

The load-deflection curve for static bending and the force-time curve for impact bending of heat-treated wood were examined in detail. The effect of oxygen in air was also investigated. Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) was heated for 0.5–16.0h at a temperature of 160°C in nitrogen gas or air. The dynamic Young's modulus was measured by the free-free flexural vibration test, the static Young's modulus and work needed for rupture by the static bending test, and the absorbed energy in impact bending by the impact bending test. The results obtained were as follows: (1) The static Young's modulus increased at the initial stage of the heat treatment and decreased later. It decreased more in air than in nitrogen. (2) The bending strength increased at the initial stage of the heat treatment and decreased later. It decreased more in air than in nitrogen. (3) The work needed for rupture decreased steadily as the heating time increased. It decreased more in nitrogen than in air. It is thought that heat-treated wood was more brittle than untreated wood in the static bending test because W₁₂ was reduced by the heat treatment. This means that the main factors contributing to the reduction of the work needed for rupture were viscosity and plasticity, not elasticity. (4) The absorbed energy in impact bending increased at the initial stage of the heat treatment and decreased later. It decreased more in air than in nitrogen. It was concluded that heat-treated wood became more brittle in the impact bending test becauseI ₁₂ andI ₂₃ were reduced by the heat treatment.     

Relationship between production of hydroxyl radicals and degradation of wood, crystalline cellulose, and a lignin-related compound or accumulation of oxalic acid in cultures of brown-rot fungi

The degradation of wood, filter paper cellulose, and a lignin-substructure model, was measured in cultures of seven fungi usually regarded as brown-rot fungi. Hydroxyl radical production and the accumulation of oxalic acid in the cultures were also measured. Four of the fungi, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Tyromyces palustris, Laetiporus sulphureus, and Postia placenta, were typical brown-rot fungi, in that they preferentially degraded and eliminated the polysaccharides in wood and produced large amounts of hydroxyl radical. The rates of hydroxyl radical generation in cultures of the four fungi were directly proportional to the degradation rates of wood, cellulose, and the lignin-related compound, and inversely proportional to the amount of oxalic acid in the cultures. Two of the fungi, Daedalea dickinsii and Lentinus lepideus, did not degrade any of the substrates significantly and produced very little hydroxyl radical. Coniophora puteana had the highest rate of cellulose degradation, but did not degrade wood or the lignin model significantly and produced only negligible amounts of hydroxyl radical. These results indicate that brown-rot fungi produce large amounts of hydroxyl radical for the degradation of wood and crystalline cellulose.     

THE EFFECT OF HEAT TREATMENT ON DIFFERENT SPECIES WOOD COLOUR

Woodisnaturalmaterial,naturegivewoodsurfacecolor,g]oss,grain,qualitysenseetc-,whichconsititutedwoodaesthet-icfeeling.Forthisreson,peoplealwaysusedwide]ywoodtomakefurnitureanddecorating,andstlldiedonthequntitativetestingofwoodsurfacevisualphysicalmagnitude.tl-8jTreeswereprocessedoperationbyaseriesofworkingprocesstoformthewoodsurfacewhichwesawandtouchedonfur-nitureanddecorating.Inthesekindsofworkingprocess,whetherthevisualphysi-calmagnitudeofwoodsurfacehadvaria-tionsorthisvariationschangedwoodna…     

Effects of heat treatment on brittleness of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Styrax tonkinensis</Emphasis> wood

A new approach is proposed for the evaluation of the brittleness of heat-treated Styrax tonkinensis wood. Heat treatment made wood more brittle when wood was heated at a higher temperature or for a longer time. The brittleness increased to four times that of the control when wood was heated at 200°C for 12 h. For treatment at 160°C, the increase in brittleness without any change in weight is thought to be possibly caused by the relocation of lignin molecules. At higher temperatures, loss of amorphous polysaccharides due to degradation is thought to become the main factor affecting brittleness. The crystallites that were newly formed after 2 h of treatment showed brittleness that was different from that of the inherent crystallites remaining after 12 h of heat treatment. This inherent crystalline cellulose possibly plays a role in brittleness. There is also the possibility of using color to predict the brittleness of heat-treated wood.     

Spectrochemical characterization by FT-Raman spectroscopy of wood heat-treated at low temperatures: Japanese larch and beech

Test samples of Japanese larch (Larix leptolepis) heartwood and Japanese beech (Fagus crenata) sapwood were heated for 22 h at constant temperatures (50°–180°C) under three water content conditions. Raman spectra of the samples were recorded before and after the heat treatments, and spectral changes in the range from 1000 cm⁻¹ to 1800 cm⁻¹ were evaluated using the difference spectrum method. For both wood species, the Raman band intensity at 1655–1660 cm⁻¹ due mainly to the C=C and C=O groups in lignin clearly decreased with increasing heat-treatment temperature (HTT). The spectral change was thought to reflect the progress of condensation reactions of lignin molecules during the heat treatment. Moreover, the decrease in band intensity was considerably facilitated by the presence of water in the cell wall, suggesting that the condensation is closely related to the softening of lignin. From the spectral changes in the wavenumber region of 1200–1500 cm⁻¹, it was considered that wood constituents are partially decomposed at the higher HTT. Part of this article was presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Fukuoka, March 2003     

Decomposition behavior of cellulose in supercritical water, subcritical water, and their combined treatments

A comparative study on decomposition of cellulose between supercritical water (400°C, 40MPa) and subcritical water (280°C, 40MPa) treatments was made to elucidate the difference in their decomposition behavior. Consequently, the supercritical water treatment was found to be more suitable for obtaining high yields of hydrolyzed products. However, cellulose was found to be more liable to fragment under supercritical water treatment, resulting in a decrease in the yield of hydrolyzed products. On the contrary, cellulose was found to be liable to more dehydration in the subcritical water treatment. Based on these results, we have proposed the combined process of short supercritical water treatment followed by subcritical water treatment so as to inhibit fragmentation. Consequently, this combined treatment was able to effectively control the reaction condition, and to increase the yield of hydrolyzed products.     

Image analysis study of mould susceptibility of spruce and larch wood dried or heat-treated at different temperatures

Abstract

In this study, mould growth on wood was investigated by image analysis. The studied parameters were drying and heat-treatment temperatures (20–210°C), original and resawn surface and different wood species (spruce and larch). Small specimens—some of which were inoculated with a spore suspension—were stored under humid conditions and photographed once a week. Mould growth was assessed by image analysis. In general, results found in earlier studies regarding the influence of several parameters could be confirmed. Image analysis was found to be a useful method to quantify mould growth in an objective and reproducible way.     

Variations in compression strength and surface roughness of heat-treated Turkish river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) wood

This article reports the effects of heat treatment on compression strength parallel to the grain, the surface roughness [average roughness (R_a)], and the air-dry den-sity of wood from the river red gum tree (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehn.) planted in Turkey. Eucalyptus wood was heat-treated at temperatures varying from 120° to 180°C for durations of 2–10 h. Samples cut from the heat-treated wood were tested for air-dry density, compression strength parallel to grain, and surface roughness properties. Roughness measurements by the stylus method were made in the direction perpendicular to the fiber. Based on the findings in this study, the results showed that density, compression strength, and surface roughness values decreased with increasing treatment temperature and treatment times. Eucalyptus wood could be utilized by using proper heat treatment techniques without any losses in strength values in areas where working, stability, and surface smoothness, such as in window frames, are important factors.     

Crystallinity of wood and the size of cellulose crystallites in Norway spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis>)

X-ray diffraction was used to study variations in the crystallinity of wood and the average thickness and length of the crystallites of cellulose as a function of the number of the year ring in Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst.]. The crystallinity increased from ring 4 to ring 10 from the pith and was constant after ring 10. The crystallinity of mature wood was about 30% ± 5%. The average thickness and average length of the crystallites were 3.2 ± 0.1nm and 28 ± 2nm, respectively; and no systematic variation of these values with the number of the year ring was observed. The mean microfibril angle decreased near the pith but was constant in the mature wood.     

Vibrational properties of Sitka spruce heat-treated in nitrogen gas

Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis Carr.) wood was heated for 0.5–16.Oh at temperatures of 120°–200°C in nitrogen gas or air. The values for Young's modulus, shear modulus, and loss tangent were measured by free-free flexural vibration tests. X-ray diffractometry was carried out to estimate the crystallinity index and crystallite width. The results obtained are as follows: (1) Density decreased at higher temperatures and longer heating times. The specific Young's modulus, specific shear modulus, crystallinity index, and crystallite width increased during the initial stage and were constant after this stage at 120°C and 160°C, whereas they increased during the initial stage and decreased later when the temperature was high. Loss tangent in the longitudinal direction increased under all conditions, whereas that in the radial direction increased at 120°C and decreased at 160°C and 200°C. (2) From the relation between Young's modulus and moisture content, it can be safely said that Young's modulus is increased by the crystallization and the decrement in equilibrium moisture content, and that crystallization (rather than degradation) is predominant at the initial stage of the heat treatment, whereas the latter is predominant as the heating time increases. (3) It is implied that the specific Young's modulus, specific shear modulus, crystallinity index, and crystallite width decreased more in air than in nitrogen gas because of oxidation in air.This study was presented in part at the 43th Annual Meeting of Japan Wood Research Society at Morioka, August 1993, the 44th Annual Meeting of Japan Wood Research Society at Nara, April 1994, and the 45th Annual Meeting of Japan Wood Research Society at Tokyo, April 1995     

The aging effects of water immersion treatments in wet-bending for standardized testing of wood panels

The durability of wood-based panels is one of the most important properties when they are used in residential construction. The main objectives of this study were to investigate the quantitative relationship between the Wet-bending A test and the Wet-bending B test, examine the aging effects of the treatments specified in the wet-bending methods, and discuss the relationship between wet-bending and outdoor aging tests conducted in Shizuoka, Japan. Wet-bending tests, internal bond tests after humidity treatment, and outdoor aging tests in Shizuoka were conducted using eight types of commercial wood-based panels. A linear relationship was found between the load-carrying capacity (LCC) from the Wet-bending A test and the LCC from the Wet-bending B test. The LCC from Wet-bending B could be obtained from LCC from Wet-bending A by multiplying it by 0.9, which may be applicable as a quantitative ratio of aging effects between the two. LCC for methylenediphenyl diisocyanate-bonded panels recovered to almost 100% of the initial strength. A certain relationship was found between the LCC after Wet-bending A and the LCC after a 1-year outdoor exposure in Shizuoka. Internal bond strength showed a good correlation between the JIS-A treatment and the 1-year outdoor exposure treatment.     

Chemical structural elucidation of total lignins in woods I: fractionation of the lignin in residual wood meal after extraction of milled wood lignin

Residual wood meal after extraction of milled wood lignin (WMEM) ofEucalyptus globulus was extracted with alkali and LiCl/N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAc). These agents dissolve mainly hemicellulose and cellulose, respectively. The extractability of WMEM in alkali solutions was influenced by the degree of swelling of the cellulose. Under good swelling conditions, considerable amounts of cellulose and lignin were extracted with the hemicellulose. Maximum extractability was about 60% of the WMEM under optimum conditions (3 M or 5 M LiOH or 3M NaOH solution). Some portion of cellulose was extracted with LiCl/DMAc at room temperature. Thus, lignin inE. globulus WMEM was divided into three fractions: hemicellulose-lignin fraction, cellulose-lignin fraction, and insoluble-lignin fraction.Part of this work was presented at the 49th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tokyo, April 1999; and at the 50th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kyoto, April 2000     

木片散堆碎料水分迁移系数的研究

本文首次提出利用梯度转换法,实验测定动态传质控制方程中的质扩散系数及传质边界条件中的质交换系数,求算了表面以下蒸发界面深度及其对蒸发速率与相对蒸发深度的关系。实验表明,多孔物料表面下的相对蒸发深度在1%以下时,对质迁移率的影响极为显著。质交换系数也是蒸发界面深度的函数。质扩散系数是含水率的函数。本文采用变系数分段线性化的方法,利用质扩散方程的解析解验算了所求出的质扩散系数、质交换系数及蒸发界面深度的可靠性。理论验算表明,无量纲质迁移势的理论值与实验值之间的相对误差不大于6%,从而说明,利用梯度转换法测定木片料床的质迁移系数的方法是可行的。     

Raman spectroscopic study on the behavior of boric acid in wood

 Raman spectra of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) treated by vacuum impregnation with aqueous boric acid solutions (8.1 × 10⁻² to 7.29 × 10⁻¹ mol dm⁻³) were recorded using a near-infrared laser as an excitation source. Raman spectroscopic measurements were carried out on treated wood blocks of two sizes: 20(T) × 20(R) × 5(L) mm (A-type) and 15(T) × 15(R) × 50(L) mm (B-type). Our attention was focused on a prominent band (ν ₁) assigned to a symmetrical stretching vibration of the BO₃ group because no Raman band due to boron species was observed except bands of B(OH)₃. We observed a change in ν ₁ band intensity with increasing boric acid concentration in the aqueous solution used to treat the A-type wood blocks and investigated the correlation between the intensity and the peak-top wavenumber. Raman line maps in the longitudinal direction of the treated B-type wood blocks revealed that B(OH)₃ is concentrated near the cut ends. These results suggested that two groups of B(OH)₃ exist in wood in terms of the chemical species in the nearest neighbor sphere. Received: March 11, 2002 / Accepted: June 26, 2002     

Effects of wood carbonization on soil and initial development of seedlings in miombo woodland, Zambia

An assessment of the effects of wood carbonization by the traditional earth kiln method in Brachystegia-Julber-nardia (miombo) woodland on soil nutrients in the field and seedling growth under laboratory conditions was made from August 1992 to March 1993. Wood carbonization increased soil pH and exchangeable P and K. Generally seed germination was better in charcoal soil than in undisturbed soil among the seven indigenous woody plants studied. Seedling growth in charcoal soil was good, except for Isoberlinia angolensis which had lower growth rate than in undisturbed soil.     

我国木材供给和人造板发展的现状与预测

本文就我国天保工程实施后，国内木材供应短缺问题提供了解决办法，即大力发展我国的人造板工业，替代实体木材的消耗，从根本上解决木材产量大幅度下降给国内木材消费市场带来的影响。