Abstract
In this study, the simulation of artificial conditions, containing various chemical additives similar to a bog environment, was hypothesised as a relatively short way to develop a more sustainable wood product with better properties. This study aimed to determine how hydrothermal treatment with different iron additives with and without tannic acid, performed at 100 °C for 75 h, changed the mass and density of wood of different tree species (Pinus sylvestris L., Picea abies (L.) H. Karst., Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco, Juglans regia L., and Acer platanoides L.); total phenolic compounds in biobased solvents after the hydrothermal processing andiron concentration in different wood layers. We also aimed to determine the wood chemical composition using Fourier-transform infrared technique. The study results showed that the softwood samples were more susceptible to hydrothermal modification than the hardwood samples, indicated by minorly different intensities on infrared spectra. The FTIR results showed bands of hardwood and softwood samples which along with the spectral characterisation of the wood constituents, which can further be utilized for creating a larger FTIR spectral database of wood samples for their identification. The factors with the most significant effect on the hydrothermal modification were tannic acid and inorganic Fe3O2 salt, used as an additive. The results indicated the suitability of inorganic Fe3O2 salt and tannic acid combination applied in this type of modification, because a higher concentration of iron was distributed on the inner and intermediate sublayers of wood samples. The hydrothermal modification approach to anchor tannic acid–Fe macromolecules in wood shown in this study has promising capabilities and may attract interest in the field of wood protection against weathering.
Highlights
Wood, chemically described as a polymeric composite of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, is an economically important renewable resource widely used as an environmentally friendly material with properties suitable for industry and the private sector
The potential of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy combined with other chemometric methods was evaluated to show the influence of additives such as Fe2 O3 and FeCl3 in combination with tannic acid on wood samples
It was observed that the softwood samples were more susceptible to hydrothermal modification than the hardwood samples, indicated by minor different intensities on infrared spectra
Summary
Chemically described as a polymeric composite of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, is an economically important renewable resource widely used as an environmentally friendly material with properties suitable for industry and the private sector. Despite good natural wood properties, the requirements for wood or wood-based construction products are growing. The biodegradability, dimensional nonstability under varying moisture contents, and degradability by ultraviolet (UV) light often limit the use of natural wood and its products. The wood properties change due to internal chemical reactions, and wood strength is lost as it biologically degrades due to oxidation, hydrolysis, and dehydration reactions [4,5]. Different wood modification processes, such as thermal modification at elevated temperatures, chemical acetylation with acetic anhydride, furfurylation with furfural alcohol, or treating with modifying resins, using pressure methods, etc., often create valueadded wood products [4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13].
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