Abstract
The mechanical properties of individual fibers are related to the production and performance of papers and fiberboards. This paper examines the behavior of the microstructure constituents of wood subjected to acid and alkali treatments. The chemical structure and mechanical properties of wood cell walls with different acid or alkali treatments was analyzed. The results show that, compared with acid treatment, the crystal size and crystallinity index of cellulose increased after alkali treatment, resulting in an increase in the cell wall elastic modulus. The mechanical properties of the wood cell wall S2 region were higher than those of the compound middle lamella (CML) region. There was a topochemical effect between the CML and the S2 region in acid and alkali-treated samples, which provided a major threshold that facilitates the production/separation of wood fibers for better strength fiber properties.
Highlights
The mechanical properties of individual fibers are related to the production and performance of papers and fiberboards
The 40th growth ring latewood was used; this part of the wood had a thicker compound middle lamella (CML) region (1.0 μm~1.5 μm) compared to that in other regions, and such to ensure an accurate determination of the chemical structure and mechanical properties within the CML region
From the peak intensities at 1271 cm−1 and 1600 cm−1, the lignin concentration in the control sample was higher in the CML region than in the S2 region
Summary
The mechanical properties of individual fibers are related to the production and performance of papers and fiberboards. For paper and fiberboard production, the singular fibers are ground into wood pulp and refined by mechanical, chemical or chemi-mechanical defibrillation. Temperature and mechanical force are often used to soften and separate fibers [1]. As there is no material loss during mechanical pulping, the pulp output can be as high as 90% [2]. Chemical pulping produces a pulp in lower yields but with better strength [3]. Chemi-mechanical pulping combines the advantages of a high pulping rate, low pulping cost, and high fiber strength [4,5]
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