Sorption properties of hydrothermally modified wood and data evaluation based on the concept of Hansen solubility parameter (HSP)

Abstract

Abstract The effect of the hydrothermal modification (HTM) of the deciduous woods birch and aspen on their sorption behavior has been investigated by the vapor sorption method. An analysis of the experimental results was carried out based on the concept of Hansen solubility parameters (HSP), which takes into account the contribution of different forces – dispersion forces, dipole action, and hydrogen bonding – to the total cohesion energy. Sorption isotherms were measured concerning the vapors of water, methanol, and ethanol with unmodified and HTM woods at 160°C and 170°C during 3 and 1 h, respectively. The choice of sorbates was based on the parts of the hydrogen bonding and dispersion force to cohesion energy, in decreasing order of the former and increasing order of the latter. As a criterion of sorption, the value of the monolayer capacity was used, which was derived from the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller equation. Vapor sorption with unmodified and modified wood increased with increasing dispersion force component of the HSP of the sorbate. However, more substantial increase occurred for HTM wood, that is, wood surface became more hydrophobic. The reason for this observation is the change in the decreasing ratio holocellulose/lignin upon HTM. However, the chemical structure of lignin is also changed by HTM.