Chemical Degradation of Wood: The Relationship Between Strength Retention and Pentosan Content
Abstract
This investigation resulted from a prior study on the effect of acids and alkalis on wood. In that study, indirect support was given the contention that a low original pentosan content in wood favors resistance to chemical degradation. In the present study, the relationship of pentosan content and its retention to the resistance of wood to chemical attack is quantitatively established. A low original pentosan content and a high pentosan retention correlate well with resistance to acid degradation as measured by strength retention. The relationship between these two pentosan values and alkaline degradation is weaker, but still significant. Hemicellulose retention is a better indicator of the behavior of wood with respect to alkaline attack. The most useful result is the fact that, through chemical analysis for pentosans in a wood, resistance to chemical degradation can be indicated.References
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