Effect of altitude on polysaccharide and lignin contents of brutian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) wood and kraft pulp

Abstract

This study investigated the chemical properties of Brutian pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) wood samples collected at altitudes of 800 m, 900 m, and 1000 m and the behaviors of the chemical components of the same materials during kraft pulping. Chemical component analysis indicated that the wood and pulp sample from 1000 m contained higher quantities of holocellulose and α-cellulose, and a lower quantity of lignin. For both wood and pulp samples, a continuous increase in holocellulose and α-cellulose contents and a continuous decrease in lignin content were observed with increasing altitude. Gas chromatography analysis of monosaccharides determined that the highest cellulose and hemicellulose contents were obtained from the wood and pulp sample from 1000 m. Quantity of these components increased with increasing altitude. Lastly, kraft pulping degraded 14.10-15.70% of cellulose, 56.49-61.35% of galactoglucomannan, 65.75-69.61% of arabinoglucoronoxylan, and 92.42-93.48% of lignin in the samples.