Nondestructive chemical imaging of wood at the micro-scale: advanced technology to complement macro-scale evaluations

Abstract

Chemical images help understanding of wood properties, durability, and cell wall deconstruction for conversion of lignocellulose to biofuels, nanocellulose and other value added chemicals in forest biorefineries. We describe here a new method for nondestructive chemical imaging of wood and wood-based materials at the micro-scale to complement macro-scale methods based on X-rays, acoustics, and georadar. Chemical detection, mapping and digital image construction were obtained with a high resolution Fourier transformed infrared microspectroscopy facility that obtains infrared light from a recently constructed beamline at the University of Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center, Madison, Wisconsin USA. The pioneering Infrared Environmental Imaging (IRENI) facility is equipped with a unique design for illuminating and analyzing samples, enabling rapid FTIR data collection, high spatial resolution (pixel size of 0.54×0.54 µ²), and computer-generated images of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose in wood cell wall layers of commercially important Pinus taeda L. and Populus deltoids Bartr.

Citation

Illman, Barbara L.; Sedlmair, Julia; Unger, Miriam; Hirschmugl, Carol. 2013. Nondestructive chemical imaging of wood at the micro-scale: advanced technology to complement macro-scale evaluations. In: USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, General Technical Report, FPL-GTR-226. pp. 331-335.