Abstract
This study aims to promote comprehensive utilization of woody biomass by providing a knowledgebase on the utility of aspen bark as a new alternative source for fossil-based chemicals. The research focused on the analysis of clonal variation in: (1) major chemical components, i.e., hemicelluloses, cellulose, and lignin; (2) extraneous materials, i.e., bark extractives, and suberic acid; (3) condensed tannins content and composition; and (4) screening differences in antioxidative properties and total phenolic content of hot water extracts and ethanol-water extracts of hybrid aspen bark. Results of this study, the discovery of clonal variation in utilizable chemicals, pave the way for further research on added-value potential of under-utilized hybrid aspen and its bark. Clonal variation was found in notable part of chemicals with potential for utilization. Based on the results, an appropriate bark raw material can be selected for tailored processing, thus improving the resource efficiency. The results also indicate that by applying cascade processing concepts, bark chemical substances could be more efficiently utilized with more environmentally friendly methods.
Highlights
The chemical industry is still heavily reliant on the use of fossil raw materials and a great need for alternative, sustainable ones exists
In the view of raw material chemical utilization, the results showed that the major chemical components of hybrid aspen bark were notably lower in cellulose content, but were in line with lignin and hemicellulose typically reported for xylem in hardwood species
The antioxidative capacities of hybrid aspen bark found in this study are in line with the findings reported by Kähkönen, et al [32], who found that the total phenol content of bark in Populus tremula was 32.1 mg GAE/g [32]
Summary
The chemical industry is still heavily reliant on the use of fossil raw materials and a great need for alternative, sustainable ones exists. Lignocellulosic biomasses have received much scientific interest as renewable substitutes for different chemical industry applications, and the need for faster production of woody biomass is growing globally. This topic is timely in Finland, where the rotation periods of commercially important tree species exceed over 70–80 years. One possible way to boost the production and availability of wood-based raw materials is to breed fast growing tree species designed for the chemical industry’s application purposes. On fertile sites in southern Finland, the yields may reach up to 20 m3 ha−1 per year in Molecules 2020, 25, 4403; doi:10.3390/molecules25194403 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules
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