The isothermal degradation of wood

Abstract

The results of a study of spruce (whitewood) and its organic components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) by isothermal thermogravimetric analysis in air and inert atmospheres are presented. Data on the thermal decomposition of fuel wood in a temperature range from 200 to 450°C were acquired. The porous structure of biocoal and the process of its evolution were examined by scanning electron microscopy. The porous structure of the whitewood thermally treated at 200 and 300°C had pore sizes from 4 to 15 μm. The stratification of tracheids occurred in the above temperature range. At higher temperatures of 350°C or above, thermal pores with sizes of about 100 nm appeared. As the temperature was increased to 400°C, the pore size increased to 200–300 nm.