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Characterization of alkali-extracted wood by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy

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Abstract

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared (IR) spectroscopy analyses were performed with silver/white birch (Betula pendula/B. pubescens) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) chips pretreated under alkaline (from 1 to 8% NaOH charge on wood dry solids) conditions to determine the suitability of this method in quickly determining chemical changes caused by varying treatment conditions on wood chemical structure. In addition to the alkali charge, pretreatment conditions varied with respect to temperature (130 and 150 °C) and treatment time (from 30 to 120 min). The spectral data of pretreated wood samples were compared to those of untreated reference samples, and the effects of the pretreatments conducted were determined based on these data. Results indicated that the most essential phenomena taking place during alkaline pretreatments could be detected by applying this simple and rapid spectral method requiring only a small sample amount. Such information included, for example, the cleavage of common lignin and carbohydrate bonds together with the significant removal of organics, especially hemicelluloses during pretreatments.

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Funding

Financial support was from the Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation (grant number 201700063) and Finnish Cultural Foundation (within the framework of Foundations’ Post Doc Pool, grant number 00170038) (Joni Lehto), and from the European Union in the context of the goals of “Europe 2020 Strategy” and in the framework of “Human Capital Operational Program No. POKL.04.0300-00-042/12-00” (Teresa Kłosińska and Michał Drożdżek).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland

    Joni Lehto, Jarmo Louhelainen & Raimo Alén

  2. Department of Wood Science and Wood Preservation, Faculty of Wood Technology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - SGGW, 159 Nowoursynowska St, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland

    Teresa Kłosińska & Michał Drożdżek

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  1. Joni Lehto
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  2. Jarmo Louhelainen
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  3. Teresa Kłosińska
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  4. Michał Drożdżek
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  5. Raimo Alén
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Correspondence to Joni Lehto.

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Lehto, J., Louhelainen, J., Kłosińska, T. et al. Characterization of alkali-extracted wood by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Biomass Conv. Bioref. 8, 847–855 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-018-0327-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-018-0327-5

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