Characterizing Microscopic Changes of Paulownia Wood under Thermal Compression

Abstract

This study evaluates the microscopic changes of paulownia solid wood panels subjected to thermal compression via characterizing the changes in wood microstructure. The panels, with dimensions of 500 mm × 100 mm × 20 mm, were hot-pressed in a tangential direction by using a laboratorytype hot press at a temperature of either 150 °C or 170 °C and a pressure of 2 MPa for 45 min. Microscopic investigations conducted by light microscopy showed that slightly more damage occurred in the samples compressed at 170 °C and 2 MPa than at 150 °C and 2 MPa, and that the distribution of deformation in the panels was not uniform in the growth rings of the two treatment groups. The cell collapse was not observed in the microstructure of paulownia wood after the thermal compression. Cell shapes and their arrangement in the growth ring alongside loading direction were interpreted as effective factors governing the non-uniform distribution of damage and the lack of cell collapse in the microstructure.

Chemical characterization and ftir spectroscopy of thermally compressed eucalyptus wood panels

“…Thermal modification method affects performance properties of the paulownia (Candan et al 2013a) and poplar (Candan et al 2013b) wood materials. Changes in microscopic characteristics because of thermally compressing procedure were examined by Dogu et al (2016) and Dogu et al (2017).…”

Valorization of fast-growing Paulownia wood to green chemicals and green hydrogen

“…For example, sugarcane bagasse exhibited yields of 18.0 g per 100 g DW (raw) and 36.4 g per 100 g DW (separated cellulose), 72 while hybrid poplar wood yielded 17.7 g per 100 g DW. 73 The high sugar yield from Paulownia wood could be due to its unique large pore size, 74,75 leading to a weaker lignocellulosic structure and hence a higher sugar processability. As demonstrated so far, selective glucose and xylose production from Paulownia wood is possible and is described in depth in ESI Notes 2.…”

Examining Parameters of Surface Quality Performance of Paulownia Wood Materials Modified by Thermal Compression Technique

“…In addition, similar changes were obtained in both directions. Dogu et al (2017) similarly applied thermal compression method to paulownia wood with only 20 bar pressure at the same temperatures. They observed that slightly more cellular damage occurred in the treated samples and found that distribution of deformation was not uniform in the growth rings of the treated samples.…”