Abstract
There is increasing interest in furfurylated wood, but the polymerization mechanism between its internal polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) and lignin is still uncertain. This paper investigated the distribution of PFA and the feasibility of the polymerization of PFA with lignin in furfurylated balsa wood. The wood first immersed in the furfuryl alcohol (FA) solution followed by in situ polymerization and the distribution of PFA was characterized by Raman, fluorescence microscopy, SEM, and CLSM. Then, the mill wood lignin (MWL) of balsa wood and lignin model molecules were catalytically polymerized with PFA, respectively, studying the mechanism of interaction between PFA and lignin. It was concluded that PFA was mainly deposited in cell corner with high lignin concentration, and additionally partly deposited in wood cell cavity due to high concentration of FA and partial delignification. TGA, FTIR, and NMR analysis showed that the cross-linked network structure generated by the substitution of MWL aromatic ring free position by PFA hydroxymethyl enhanced the thermal stability. New chemical shifts were established between PFA and C5/C6 of lignin model A and C2/C6 of model B, respectively. The above results illustrated that lignin-CH2-PFA linkage was created between PFA and lignin in the wood cell wall.
Highlights
Growing wood is net-carbon negative [1] and widely used in construction materials because of its environmentally friendly and technical advantages [2]
polyfurfuryl alcohol (PFA) and lignin, the mill wood lignin (MWL) of balsa wood and lignin model molecules were catalytically polymerized with PFA, respectively
A variety of characterization methods were utilized to display the distribution of PFA in furfurylated wood, and a new chemical link was established between PFA
Summary
Growing wood is net-carbon negative [1] and widely used in construction materials because of its environmentally friendly and technical advantages [2]. The distribution of the modifier in the wood and the polymerization with the cell wall material are essential to improve the properties of the impregnated material [9]. These two aspects have been discussed by many scholars. Li et al [7] indirectly demonstrated chemically cross-linked FA resin in the wood cell wall by nanoindentation, as both reduced modulus and hardness of the furfurylated wood cell walls were significantly improved. Yang et al [12] confirmed that furfuryl alcohol had been polymerized in the wood by NMR, whereas chemical bonds between the FA resins and polymers within cell walls had not formed.
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