PEG bulking of wood cell walls as affected by moisture content and nature of solvent

Movement of polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1000 from wood cell lumens into adjacent cell walls was studied for different cell wall moisture contents (MCs) and PEG solvents; relative amounts of PEG that penetrated into the cell walls were estimated by Raman microscopy. It was shown that samples treated with PEG from chloroform solution adsorb less PEG than samples treated with PEG-water solution even in the case of samples with open cell wall structure near fibre saturation point MC. Reconditioning of PEG-chloroform treated samples at high relative humidities enhanced PEG bulking of cell walls, but not to the maximum amounts observed with PEG-water treatments. Raman microscopy was a useful tool for estimating relative PEG amounts in the cell walls.     

PEG quantification and examination of molecular weight distribution in wood cell walls

The amounts of polyethylene glycol (PEG) of a range of molecular weights (200–20000) and their mixtures in wood cell walls were estimated by preferential extraction of PEG from the cell lumens. PEG extracted by toluene over 1 h extraction periods was examined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) spectroscopy. The assumption that a non-polar solvent would not extract PEG from the cell walls was shown to be invalid. Only about 0.07–0.08 g PEG per g dry wood was retained in wood after 12 h-toluene extraction and this value was not significantly affected by PEG molecular weight (MW). This relatively low cell wall content can result in as high as 50% cell wall bulking (CWB) which is dependent on MW. Samples treated with mixture of PEG MWs indicated preferential penetration of lower MW into cell walls.     

Comparative studies on microstructures and chemical compositions of cell walls of two solid wood floorings

Two common wood flooring materials, taun (Pometia spp.) and cumaru (Dipteryx odorata), were used as investigated objects and comparison was made between the two wood species for their density, microstructure, microfibril angle (MFA), cellulose crystallinity and the main chemical composition. Results showed that the density of cumaru was 0.941 g·cm^?3, significantly larger than that of taun, 0.737 g·cm^?3. The biggest difference of two wood species in microstructures was fiber cells. Fiber cells of cumaru had dense cell walls, almost no cell lumens; while fiber cells of taun had relatively thin cell walls, with apparent cell lumens. The thickness of fiber cell wall of cumaru and taun were 6.80 and 2.82 µm, respectively, and the former is about 2.5 times thicker than the latter. Measured data of MFA indicated that the average MFA of cumaru was 11.7°, smaller than that of taun, 13.4°. The relative crystallinity of cumaru and taun were 54.0 and 50.8%, respectively. The two wood species had the similar holocellulose contents, but the lignin content of cumaru was higher than that of taun, especially that the content of extractive of cumaru was as twice as that of taun.     

The modification of wood by treatment with low molecular weight phenol-formaldehyde resin: a properties enhancement with neutralized phenolic-resin and resin penetration into wood cell walls

To enhance dimensional stability and biological properties, low molecular weight phenolic resins of a conventional alkaline type and neutralized type were impregnated into Japanese cedar wood (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) and heat-cured. The treatment with the neutralized type resin retained the original wood color, whereas the alkaline treatment changed the color of wood to red-brown. The concentrations of the resin solutions and the weight gains due to the resin loading of wood after treatment were highly correlated, and the target resin loading could be assessed from the solution concentration. A high dimensional stability of 60% antiswelling efficiency was attained when both types of resins were impregnated at about 30% resin loading and no significant difference was recognized between the two. To suppress decay attack from brown-rot and white-rot fungi, 15% and 10% resin loading due to treatment was required for the neutralized and alkaline types of phenolic resins, respectively. The penetration of resin into wood cell walls was investigated by means of light microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (EPMA). A m-Bromophenol-formaldehyde resin of three levels of an average molecular weight was used to detect the presence of resin by bromine signals. The phenolic resins with low and medium molecular weights (290 and 470) were shown to penetrate into the cell walls the furthest, thereby contributing to the enhancement of dimensional stability and decay resistance in the resin-impregnated wood. Also, for phenolic resin with a high molecular weight (820), only the resin components of low molecular weight appeared to be present in the walls, making very little contribution to the dimensional stability.     

A two-step modification treatment of solid wood by bulk modification and surface treatment

A combination of bulk and surface modification of wood could lead to a product that shows the advantages of both treatments. This study evaluates the penetration of melamine resin into acetylated and silylated cell walls and possible side effects of melamine impregnation on this bulk treatment in order to clarify the feasibility of a combination of the chosen bulk modification (acetylation or silylation) and surface treatments (hardening by melamine modification). UV microscopy confirmed that melamine resin penetrates into wood cell walls even after acetylation and silylation treatment. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the melamine treatment did not lead to substantial washing out of silyl groups with the silylation reagent used. The possibility of a combination of the selected bulk and surface modification methods is given.     

Determination of the distribution and reaction of polysaccharides in wood cell walls by the isotope tracer technique VIII: Selective radiolabeling of xylan in mature cell walls of magnolia (Magnolia kobus DC.) and visualization of its distribution by microautoradiography

To radiolabel xylan in mature cell walls selectively, magnolia (Magnolia kobus DC.) was administered withmyo-inositol-[2-³H] and allowed to metabolize for 1 month. The radiolabeled xylem tissue was then submitted to sulfuric acid hydrolysis and nitrobenzene oxidation. A large amount of radioactivity was found mainly in xylose, although slight activities were detected in glucose and in vanillin and syringaldehyde. The labeled tissue was submitted to a preparation of holocellulose followed by treatment with 24% potassium hydroxide (KOH). Radioactivity was distributed mainly in the KOH-soluble part of the holocellulose. These results indicate that most radioactivity was incorporated into xylan in the cell walls. The distribution of the incorporated radioactivity in the xylem tissue was visualized by microautoradiography. Radioactivities were distributed in the xylem more than 400 m from the cambium; and an inner layer of a secondary wall had formed at the labeled xylem. Consequently, selective radio-labeling of xylan was visualized in mature cell walls.Part of this report was presented at the 47th annual meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Kouchi, April 1997     

Medium-density fiberboard performance as affected by wood fiber acidity, bulk density, and size distribution

The properties of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panels as affected by wood fiber characteristics were investigated. Wood chips from three softwood and one hardwood species were refined under the same refining conditions to make four different types of fibers. The resulting fibers were characterized by fiber size distribution, bulk density, pH value, and buffering capacity. Using the same resin system and hot-pressing parameters, MDF panels were produced and evaluated for internal bonding (IB), modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), thickness swelling, and linear expansion. The pH values and alkaline buffering capacities of raw materials were reduced considerably after refining. IB was strongly related to the pH value of fibers. The mechanical properties increased with alkaline buffering capacity. IB, MOR, and MOE increased with the bulk density of fibers. Increased proportions of coarse fibers had negative effects on the panel mechanical properties.     

Distribution of added chemicals in the cell walls of high temperature dried and green wood of Swedish pine, Pinus sylvestris

High temperature dried and green wood of Swedish pine was impregnated with glycerate and silver nitrate. TEM and STEM/EDS on ultramicrotomed specimens was used to reveal the location of silver in the cell wall. The silver was precipitated by a new method using silver nitrate impregnated after which the wood had been impregnated with potassium glycerate. A significant difference in the distribution of the silver was observed. In the green wood, there was a homogenous distribution of the impregnant compared to the dried specimens. The inhomogenous distribution in the dried specimens is believed to be the result of damage inside the wood cell walls which in turn will have a negative effect on dimensional stabilizing results. The darker compound middle lamella observed is believed to be an artefact. Received 19 November 1998     

On the mechanical interaction between cellulose microfibrils and matrix substances in wood cell walls: effects of chemical pretreatment and subsequent repeated dry-and-wet treatment

We investigated the influences of chemical pretreatments and subsequent repeated dry-and-wet (RDW) treatments on the mechanical linkage between cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) and matrix substances (MT) in wood cell wall. Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) quarter-sawn specimens were subjected to various types of chemical pretreatments, including ethanol and benzene extraction, delignification, alkali extraction, and hygrothermal treatment, to give substantial damages to principal constituents of wood cell wall, followed by 5 times of RDW treatment. After giving chemical pretreatment, the d-spacing of (200) lattice plane of cellulose I_β (d ₂₀₀), the crystallinity of wood cell wall, and the crystal size of the cellulose were measured at the fiber saturated point, using X-ray diffraction techniques. Thereafter, these were measured again at the absolutely dried condition in the process of subsequent RDW treatments. The d ₂₀₀ in specimens, which were given to light pretreatments, largely expanded by drying at the early stages of RDW treatments, then it decreased and became constant after 5 times of RDW treatments. On the other hand, d ₂₀₀ in specimens, which were given to intensive pretreatments, remained constant at a relatively small level throughout the whole process of RDW treatments. After 5 times of RDW treatments, d ₂₀₀ became similar values between the above two groups. This suggests that RDW treatments have similar effects as intensive pretreatments, which induce substantial damages to the microscopic region in the wood cell wall such as interfacial separation between CMF, MT, and so forth. These defects would weaken mechanical interaction between CMF and MT in the wood cell wall during drying.     

Impregnation of Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) wood by hydrophobic oil and dispersion patterns in different tissues

Wood from Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) is biologicallydegraded in exposed conditions. It also has anatomical featuresthat make it difficult to impregnate with preservatives by currentlyavailable industrial processes. In the study reported here,we used the new Linotech process to impregnate Norway sprucewood with hydrophobic linseed oil and then quantified its uptakeand dispersal in anatomically distinct wood tissues. We alsoinvestigated the effects of the wood moisture content on theresults of the impregnation. Samples (500 x 25 x 25 mm) weretaken from 15 trees in a coniferous forest in northern Sweden(64° 10' N, 160–320 m a.s.l.). The parameters forthe Linotech process were 2–3 h treatment time at 0.8–1.4MPa and 60–140°C. To determine the level of uptake,the linseed oil was extracted from the impregnated wood usingmethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether. The uptake was quantitatively analysedby comparing X-ray microdensitometry values obtained followingimpregnation both before and after oil removal. In earlywood,initial moisture content had an obvious effect on the impregnationresult. Six times more oil was taken up when the moisture contentwas greater than ~150 per cent than when it was less than 30per cent. Theoretical calculations, based on density levels,suggest that the water-filled porosity of the wood (water volumedivided by porosity volume) was positively correlated with thelinseed oil uptake, and more strongly correlated in earlywoodthan in latewood. There were also significant differences inuptake between different wood tissues; heartwood/mature woodand heartwood/juvenile wood showed 10–20 per cent weightincreases due to linseed oil uptake, compared with 30–50per cent in sapwood/mature wood. Examination by scanning electronmicroscopy confirmed these uptake patterns. The moisture contentafter impregnation was about 5 per cent, irrespective of theLinotech process parameters, tissue type and initial moisturecontent. In conclusion, the impregnation process used here resultsin high levels of well-dispersed linseed oil uptake and shouldfacilitate drying.     

Mechanical interaction between cellulose microfibril and matrix substance in wood cell wall determined by X-ray diffraction

We investigated mechanical interactions between the cellulose microfibril and the matrix substance in wood cell walls. X-ray diffraction measurements showed that the peak positions of (200) and (004) from cellulose crystals in wood cell walls tended to shift lower and higher toward 2θ, respectively, during water desorption in wood. From our simulations, it is shown that the peak shift of (200) during water desorption is not due to changes in the scattering pattern of the amorphous substance or to lateral expansion of the cellulose crystals due to the Poisson effect in the cellulose microfibril, which is compressed in the molecular chain direction as the amorphous substance shrinks. This suggests that the cellulose microfibril expands transversely during water desorption in the wood cell wall, and that there is a mechanical interaction between the cellulose microfibril and the matrix substance.     

Determination of the distribution and reaction of polysaccharides in wood cell walls by the isotope tracer technique VII: Double radiolabeling of xylan and pectin in magnolia (Magnolia kobus DC) and comparison of their behaviors during kraft pulping by radiotracer technique

myo-Inositol-[2-³H] and d-glucuronic acid-[6-¹⁴C] were administered simultaneously to a growing stem of magnolia (Magnolia kobus DC) to label xylan and pectin, respectively, in the cell wall. Determination of the radioactivity of nitrobenzene oxidation products and sulfuric acid hydrolysates of the newly formed xylem indicated that xylan and pectin were labeled with ³H and ¹⁴C, respectively. The doubly labeled wood tissue was treated to kraft pulping, and the radioactivity of the pulping black liquor and treated wood tissue were determined at various stages of the pulping to compare the dissolving behavior between pectin and xylan during the pulping. The results showed that pectin was not dissolved as easily as xylan and was not redeposited on pulp fiber at the late stage of the pulping.Part of this report was presented at the 40th Lignin Symposium at Tsukuba, October 1995     

Change in mechanical interaction between cellulose microfibril and matrix substance in wood cell wall induced by hygrothermal treatment

To investigate in detail the mechanical interactions and associations between cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) and the matrix substance, we measured the dimensional changes in cellulose crystals in wood cell walls after different treatments. The transverse expansion of CMFs observed after hygrothermal treatment and subsequent drying suggests that the matrix substance compresses the CMFs transversely under green conditions. However, as heat treatment breaks or weakens the association of the CMFs and the matrix substance, under hygrothermal treatment and drying at high temperature the matrix substance cannot compress the CMFs in the direction of the chain.     

A scanning electron microscope study of cell wall degradation in elm wood by aggressive and non-aggressive isolates of Ophiostoma ulmi

Degradation of cell walls in elm wood tissue (Ulmus americand) by aggressive and non-aggressive isolates of Ophiostoma ulmi was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Xylem vessel walls were much more affected after infection with the aggressive isolate than after infection with the non-aggressive one.     

Histological changes in the cell wall structure during wood decay by Trametes hirsuta and Trametes versicolor in neem (Azadirachta Indica A. Juss)

ABSTRACT

Structural alterations in the wood cell walls of neem inoculated with by Trametes hirsuta and T. versicolor were studied by microscopic methods. In vitro decayed wood showed extensive weight loss of test blocks (26.7 and 41.38% by T. versicolor and T. hirsuta, respectively) at the end of 3 months. Selective delignification in the initial phase followed by simultaneous removal of lignin was evident in test blocks inoculated with both the species. The separation of middle lamellae and patches of cellulosic polysaccharides stained blue with Astra blue in the delignified region of the fiber wall during early stages indicates selective mode of decay. In contrast, the occurrence of erosion troughs with characteristic U-notch in tangential sections is a characteristic feature of simultaneous rot that was apparent after 3 months of incubation. The decay pattern occurred concomitantly in all the xylem elements irrespective of general resistance pattern shown by vessel and axial parenchyma cells. At an advance stage, both species of Trametes showed formation of erosion channels along the microfibrils angle of cellulose which is considered as characteristics of soft rot decay type. The sharing of white rot and soft rot decay pattern by both the fungi suggest a phylogenetic link between both groups of fungi.