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The distribution of lignin in sprucewood as determined by ultraviolet microscopy

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Abstract

The distribution of lignin in black spruce has been determined quantitatively by the study of 0.5 μm transverse sections in a UV microscope. The average lignin concentration in the compound middle lamella was about twice that in the secondary wall. The lignin concentration of the middle lamella at the cell corners of adjacent tracheids was nearly four times that in the secondary wall but the volume of the secondary wall was much greater than the volume of the middle lamella. Thus, for earlywood, 72% of the total lignin was in the secondary wall leaving only 28% in the compound middle lamella and cell corner middle lamella regions. The corresponding values for latewood were 82% and 18% respectively. Use of oblique longitudinal sections of 0.1 μm thick permitted the resolution of the compound middle lamella. The lignin concentration in the true middle lamella was found to be equal to that in the cell corner middle lamella and the primary wall lignin content to be about twice that in the secondary wall.

Zusammenfassung

Die Verteilung des Lignins in Fichtenholz wurde quantitativ durch Untersuchung von 0,5 μm dicken Querschnitten unter dem UV-Mikroskop bestimmt. Die mittlere Ligninkonzentration war in der Mittelschicht etwa doppelt so hoch wie in der Sekundärwand. Die Ligninkonzentration der Mittelschicht war in den an die Tracheiden anstoßenden Zellecken annähernd viermal höher als in der Sekundärwand, wogegen das Volumen der Sekundärwand wesentlich größer war als das der Mittelschicht. Dagegen befand sich beim Frühholz 72% des gesamten Lignins in der Sekundärwand und nur 28% fanden sich in der Mittelschicht selbst und in ihren Zelleckbereichen. Die entsprechenden Werte für Spätholz betragen 82% bzw. 18%. Die Anwendung von schrägen Längsschnitten von 0,1 μm Dicke erlaubte die Auflösung der Mittelschicht. Die Ligninkonzentration in der Mittllamelle war gleich groß wie in der in den Zellzwickeln befindlichen Mittellamelle und der Ligningehalt der Primärwand war etwa doppelt so groß wie derjenige in der Sekundärwand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    B. J. Fergus, A. R. Procter, J. A. N. Scott & D. A. I. Goring

  2. Physical Division, Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    B. J. Fergus, A. R. Procter, J. A. N. Scott & D. A. I. Goring

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  1. B. J. Fergus
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  2. A. R. Procter
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  3. J. A. N. Scott
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  4. D. A. I. Goring
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Fergus, B.J., Procter, A.R., Scott, J.A.N. et al. The distribution of lignin in sprucewood as determined by ultraviolet microscopy. Wood Sci.Technol. 3, 117–138 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00639636

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