Wood properties of furfurylation can be altered by reaction mechanisms of furfuryl alcohol polymer (PFA) and cell walls. Although chemical reactions between PFA and lignin have been studied, reaction mechanisms between PFA and cell wall components, including lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose are still not comprehensively understood. In order to elucidate chemical reactions regarding PFA with wood cell walls, model compounds of main cell wall components were used to investigate its reactions with PFA by 13C NMR spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results showed that there was no chemical bonding of PFA with either cellulose or hemicellulose. Condensations of uncrowded ring positions (meta, ortho and para) and side chains (α–C, β–C, β–OH, and γ–OH) of lignin with PFA did occur based on 13C NMR spectra. Reaction enthalpy and activation energy also confirmed the condensation reactions between lignin and PFA. This study could provide design guidelines to control the chemical reactions of PFA in cell walls and lignin and, therefore, improve the properties of furfurylated wood.
Some wood properties (such as permeability and acoustic properties) are closely related to its hierarchical porous structure, which is responsible for its potential applications. In this study, the effect of wood impregnation with furfuryl alcohol on its hierarchical porous structure was investigated by microscopy, mercury intrusion porosimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance cryoporometry. Results indicated decreasing lumina diameters and increasing cell wall thickness of various cells after modification. These alterations became serious with enhancing weight percent gain (WPG). Some perforations and pits were also occluded. Compared with those of untreated wood, the porosity and pore volume of two furfurylated woods decreased at most of the pore diameters, which became more remarkable with raising WPG. The majority of pore sizes (diameters of 1000~100,000 nm and 10~80 nm) of macrospores and micro-mesopores of two furfurylated woods were the same as those of untreated wood. This work could offer thorough knowledge of the hierarchical porous structure of impregnatedly modified wood and pore-related properties, thereby providing guidance for subsequent wood processing and value-added applications.
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