Thermal treatment (thermal rectification) is a process in which technological properties of wood are modified using thermal energy, the result of which is often value-added wood. Thermally treated wood takes on similar color shades to tropical woods and offers considerable resistance to destructive microorganisms and climate action, in addition to having high dimensional stability and low hygroscopicity. Wood samples of Eucalyptus grandis were subjected to various thermal treatments, as performed in presence (140ºC; 160ºC; 180ºC) or in absence of oxygen (160ºC; 180ºC; 200ºC) inside a thermal treatment chamber, and then studied as to their chemical characteristics. Increasing the maximum treatment temperatures led to a reduction in the holocellulose content of samples as a result of the degradation and volatilization of hemicelluloses, also leading to an increase in the relative lignin content. Except for glucose, all monosaccharide levels were found to decrease in samples after the thermal treatment at a maximum temperature of 200ºC. The thermal treatment above 160ºC led to increased levels of total extractives in the wood samples, probably ascribed to the emergence of low molecular weight substances as a result of thermal degradation. Overall, it was not possible to clearly determine the effect of presence or absence of oxygen in the air during thermal treatment on the chemical characteristics of the relevant wood samples.

Hydrotropic treatment is an attractive process that uses water-soluble and environmentally friendly chemicals. Currently, this method is practically unexploited on a large scale due to the long treatment times required. In this study, the hydrotropic process was modified by the addition of hydrogen peroxide, formic acid, or both. The modified treatments were more selective than the reference, and the pulps obtained using the modified treatments had lower lignin contents. After bleaching, the resultant pulps were comparable to dissolving pulps with respect to the content of hemicelluloses and viscosity. Cellulose solutions were successfully obtained in a 7% NaOH/12% urea aqueous solvent after pretreating the bleached pulp with a HCl/EtOH mixture. Hydrotropic lignin was recovered from the spent solution by precipitation in water. The lignin had very low contents of carbohydrates and sulphur. The preliminary results show that a hydrotropic process can be used for such biorefinery applications as fractionation of fibres, cellulose polymer, and lignin from birch wood. The green cellulose and lignin biopolymers can potentially be used for shaping biomaterials or production of biobased chemicals.

This study aimed to evaluate the yield and efficiency of lignin extraction from Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla wood chips from treatments with sodium xylenesulphonate (SXS), and to determine their optimum conditions. First the wood's physical, chemical, and morphological properties were characterized. Then, the wood chips underwent treatments from a combination of the following factors: time, SXS concentration, and temperature. For each treatment the yield and lignin content remaining in wood chips was determined, from which optimum points were obtained for maximum yield and lignin extraction. The physical, chemical, and morphological characterization showed that the concerned wood showed values in line with those cited in previous literature. Treatments with SXS were efficient in lignin extraction. The treatment that provided the highest calculated yield of wood was 1 h, 0%, 117.5 ºC; and the greatest lignin extraction was with 12 h, 30%, 130 ºC, removing 39.6% of lignin from wood chips. In general, the treatment of E. grandis × E. urophylla wood chips with SXS was effective in extracting lignin. However, the calculated yield and lignin extraction showed antagonistic behaviors; therefore, in light of the objectives, a careful assessment is required when using this treatment on an industrial scale to seek a balance point between the two parameters.