Abstract
Structural changes of cellulose microfibrils and microfibril bundles in unmodified spruce cell wall due to drying in air were investigated using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The scattering analysis was supported with dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) measurements to quantify the macroscopic drying kinetics. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to aid in understanding the molecular-level wood-water interactions during drying. Both SANS experiments and simulations support the notion that individual cellulose microfibrils remain relatively unaffected by drying. There is, however, a significant decrease in fibril-to-fibril distances in microfibril bundles. Both scattering and DVS experiments showed two distinct drying regions: constant-rate drying and falling-rate drying. This was also supported by the MD simulation results. The shrinking of the fibril bundles starts at the boundary of these two regions, which is accompanied by a strong decrease in the diffusivity of water in between the microfibrils.Graphic abstract
Highlights
Wood-water interactions are one of the most important factors in many use-cases of wood and in the production of advanced bio-based materials from it
We explore the changes inside the wood cell wall during the drying of never-dried spruce wood utilizing small-angle neutron scattering (SANS)
The neutron scattering from wood generates a scattering pattern based on its inner nanostructure, especially the structure of cellulose microfibrils
Summary
Wood-water interactions are one of the most important factors in many use-cases of wood and in the production of advanced bio-based materials from it. Keywords Wood Á Cellulose microfibril Á Neutron scattering Á Molecular dynamics Á Drying kinetics Á Moisture behavior Small-angle scattering is a non-destructive method for characterizing the average nanostructure of wood cell walls and especially the structures formed by semi-crystalline cellulose microfibrils (diameter 2–3 nm).
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