Dielectric and mechanical properties of various species of Madagascan woods

Abstract

The low-temperature molecular mobility of three different wood species was analyzed, with the two major constituents—cellulose and lignin—as reference. Mechanical and dielectric dynamic techniques were used. In order to observe the fine structure of the broad relaxation modes of wood, a very low-frequency analysis was carried out by thermostimulated current technique. Low-temperature relaxations of rosewood were assigned to low-temperature relaxations of cellulose. There was no dielectric response of lignin in rosewood. Contrarily, both cellulose and lignin responses were distinguished in ebony and varongy. Thermostimulated currents analyses exhibit the specific behavior of lignin in the various wood species. Moreover, the relaxation mode of cellulose observed at lower temperature remains localized in rosewood, while it tends to delocalize in varongy and ebony. The nature and intensity of physical interactions that induce variation of phase miscibility might be responsible for the observed differences. Even at the scale of the c relaxation, physical interactions modify molecular mobility.