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Linear viscoelasticity of hot-pressed hybrid poplar relates to densification and to the in situ molecular parameters of cellulose

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Abstract

Key message

Hot pressing leads to changes in wood water sorption properties, linear viscoelastic behavior, and chemistry. In hot-pressed hybrid poplar, storage modulus linearly correlates with cellulose apparent crystallinity index and degree of polymerization, revealing the impact of cellulose hydrolysis on wood viscoelasticity during hot pressing.

Context

Heat treatment and densification during hot pressing are known to alter wood chemical, physical, and viscoelastic properties. Interrelationships between these properties and their changes during hot pressing are, however, unknown. They are expected to play a significant role on mat consolidation during the manufacture of wood-based composites.

Aims

This study aims (1) to characterize the impact of hot pressing on the physical, viscoelastic, and chemical properties of hybrid-poplar wood and (2) to assess possible relationships between these properties.

Methods

Dry and moist wood samples were hot-pressed under various conditions of temperature. Specific gravity, water sorption isotherms, and dynamic viscoelastic properties of hot-pressed wood were measured together with cellulose apparent crystallinity and molecular weight. Possible relationships between these properties were assessed with statistical analyses.

Results

Wood specific gravity, sorption isotherm, dynamic moduli, and cellulose crystallinity were all affected by the hot-pressing conditions. The viscoelastic response of hot-pressed wood was found to relate not only to the extent of densification but also to in situ molecular properties of cellulose. Cellulose apparent crystallinity index and degree of polymerization in hot-pressed wood linearly correlated with storage modulus, revealing the importance of cellulose hydrolysis during hot pressing on wood viscoelastic response.

Conclusion

During hot pressing, wood cellulose hydrolysis appears to govern the viscoelastic response, in addition to wood densification.

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Acknowledgments

The project was supported by the USDA-CSREES National Research Initiative grant number 2005-35103-15277 and USDA-CSREES Wood Utilization Research grant number 2008-34158-19486. The authors are grateful to Dr. Karl Englund from Washington State University for support in statistical analyses.

Funding

The project was supported by the USDA-CSREES National Research Initiative grant number 2005-35103-15277 and USDA-CSREES Wood Utilization Research grant number 2008-34158-19486.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Western Ontario, London, Canada

    Isabela Reiniati

  2. Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Tronoh, Malaysia

    Noridah B. Osman

  3. Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, USA

    Armando G. Mc Donald

  4. Forest Biomaterials, University of Freiburg, Werthmanstr.6, 79085, Freiburg, Germany

    Marie-Pierre Laborie

Authors
  1. Isabela Reiniati
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  2. Noridah B. Osman
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  3. Armando G. Mc Donald
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  4. Marie-Pierre Laborie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marie-Pierre Laborie.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Jean-Michel Leban

Contribution of the co-authors

I. Reiniati performed all experimental work concerning physical and viscoelastic properties and their interpretation and cowrote the manuscript. N. Osman performed all experiments on chemical analyses of cellulose and analyzed these data. A. Mc Donald supervised the work on chemical analysis and participated in data analysis and interpretation and cowrote the section on chemical analyses. M-P Laborie supervised the work on physico-viscoelastic analyses and participated in data interpretation and paper writing as well as coordinating the project. Armando McDonald and M.-P. Laborie conceived the project and designed the experiments to test the hypotheses.

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Reiniati, I., Osman, N.B., Mc Donald, A.G. et al. Linear viscoelasticity of hot-pressed hybrid poplar relates to densification and to the in situ molecular parameters of cellulose. Annals of Forest Science 72, 693–703 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-014-0421-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-014-0421-1

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