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Effect of severe thermal treatment on spruce and beech wood lignins

Effet d’un traitement thermique sévère sur les lignines du bois d’épicéa et de hêtre

Annals of Forest Science volume 66, page 110 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

  • • The structure, proportion and mode of assembly of lignin, celluloses and hemicelluloses have marked effects on the reaction mechanisms during thermal treatment and therefore have a strong influence on the quality of the final product. The effect of treatment conditions, including severe conditions (up to 553 K) and treatment duration (up to 8 h) on the structure of native spruce and beech lignins was studied.

  • • Lignin content was determined by the Klason method and lignin structure was evaluated by thioacidolysis.

  • • The results highlighted the strong reactivity of the native spruce and beech lignins towards severe heat treatments. The distinct susceptibility of syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) units towards thermal treatment is confirmed by comparing the data for beech and spruce samples. The most severe treatment of spruce wood (280 °C) induced a dramatic enrichment in lignin content together with the almost complete disappearance of G lignin units, whereas a more moderate treatment substantially changed lignin structure by degradation reactions that affect the p-hydroxyphenyl (H) and G lignin units similarly.

  • • Thioacidolysis revealed that the thermal treatment induces the appearance of vinyl ether structures in spruce lignins. The decreased yield of the G and S thioacidolysis monomers reflects the progressive disappearance of G and S lignin units only involved in β-O-4 bonds and the formation of condensed linkages in proportions related to treatment severity. In severe conditions, β-O-4 linked S units are more degraded than their G homologues.

Résumé

  • • La structure, la proportion et le mode de montage de la lignine, des celluloses et des hémicelluloses ont eu des effets marqués sur les mécanismes de la réaction au cours du traitement thermique et, par conséquent, ont eu une forte influence sur la qualité du produit final. L’effet des conditions de traitement, y compris des conditions sévères (jusqu’à 553 K) et la durée du traitement (jusqu’à 8 h) sur la structure de lignines de l’épicéa et du hêtre ont été étudiés.

  • • La teneur en lignine a été déterminée par la méthode Klason et la structure de la lignine a été évaluée par thioacidolyse.

  • • Les résultats ont mis en évidence la forte réactivité des lignines de l’épicéa et du hêtre vis-à-vis des traitements thermiques sévères. La sensibilité des différentes unités syringyl (S) et guaiacyl (G) vis-à-vis du traitement thermique est confirmée par comparaison des données obtenues avec les échantillons du hêtre et de l’épicéa. Le traitement le plus sévère (280 °C) du bois d’épicéa a induit un enrichissement spectaculaire en lignine ainsi que la quasi-disparition des unités de la lignine G, alors qu’un traitement plus modéré a sensiblement modifié la structure de la lignine par des réactions de dégradation qui affectent les p-hydroxyphényl (H) et les unités de lignine G.

  • • La thioacidolyse a révélé que le traitement thermique induit l’apparition de structures de vinyl éthers dans la lignine de l’épicéa. La diminution de production de la G et S thioacidolyses monomères reflète la disparition progressive des unités de lignine G et S impliquées seulement dans des liaisons β-O-4 et la formation de linkages de condensation en proportions de la sévérité du traitement. Dans des conditions difficiles, les unités S liées β-O-4 sont plus dégradées que leurs homologues G.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UPR42 - Biomass Energy Unit, CIRAD/LPF-SFB, 708 18-900, Brasilia DF, Brazil

    Patrick Rousset

  2. AgroParisTech Centre de Grignon, UMR - Chimie Biologique AgroParisTech/INRA, 78850, Thiverval-Grignon, France

    Catherine Lapierre & Brigitte Pollet

  3. Biomass Energy Research Unit, LPF-SFB, 708 18-900, Brasilia DF, Brazil

    Waldir Quirino

  4. LERMAB, UMR1093, INRA, ENGREF, 14 rue Girardet, 54042, Nancy cedex, France

    Patrick Perre

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  1. Patrick Rousset
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  2. Catherine Lapierre
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  3. Brigitte Pollet
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  4. Waldir Quirino
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  5. Patrick Perre
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Correspondence to Patrick Rousset.

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Rousset, P., Lapierre, C., Pollet, B. et al. Effect of severe thermal treatment on spruce and beech wood lignins. Ann. For. Sci. 66, 110 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2008078

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1051/forest/2008078

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Annals of Forest Science

ISSN: 1297-966X