A Landscape of Lignocellulosic Biopolymer Transformations into Valuable Molecules by Heterogeneous Catalysis in C’Durable Team at IRCELYON

This review article highlights part of the research activity of the C’Durable team at IRCELYON in the field of sustainable chemistry. This review presents a landscape of the work performed on the valorization of lignocellulosic biopolymers. These studies intend to transform cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin into valuable molecules. The methodology usually consists in evaluating the behavior of the biopolymers in the absence of catalyst under various conditions (solvent, temperature), and then to assess the influence of a catalyst, most often a heterogeneous catalyst, on the reactivity. The most significant results obtained on the upgrading of cellulose and lignin, which have been mainly investigated in the team, will be presented with an opening on studies involving raw lignocellulose.     

Recent Advances on the Development of Protein-Based Adhesives for Wood Composite Materials—A Review

The industrial market depends intensely on wood-based composites for buildings, furniture, and construction, involving significant developments in wood glues since 80% of wood-based products use adhesives. Although biobased glues have been used for many years, notably proteins, they were replaced by synthetic ones at the beginning of the 20th century, mainly due to their better moisture resistance. Currently, most wood adhesives are based on petroleum-derived products, especially formaldehyde resins commonly used in the particleboard industry due to their high adhesive performance. However, formaldehyde has been subjected to strong regulation, and projections aim for further restrictions within wood-based panels from the European market, due to its harmful emissions. From this perspective, concerns about environmental footprint and the toxicity of these formulations have prompted researchers to re-investigate the utilization of biobased materials to formulate safer alternatives. In this regard, proteins have sparked a new and growing interest in the potential development of industrial adhesives for wood due to their advantages, such as lower toxicity, renewable sourcing, and reduced environmental footprint. This work presents the recent developments in the use of proteins to formulate new wood adhesives. Herein, it includes the historical development of wood adhesives, adhesion mechanism, and the current hotspots and recent progress of potential proteinaceous feedstock resources for adhesive preparation.     

HPTLC analysis of organotin compounds in preservative solutions and preservative-treated wood

A high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method is described for the determination of tributyltin compounds (bis(tri-n-butyltin) oxide, TBTO, and tri-n-butyltin naphthenate, TBTN) and their degradation products (dibutyltin and monobutyltin compounds). The organotin compounds are extracted from wood with ethanol containing 0.5% (v/v) of hydrochloric acid and the separation of the defferent kinds of organotin compounds is achieved by thin-layer chromatography. The sample spots are measured using a scanning densitometer after decomposing the organotin compounds to inorganic tin by ultraviolet irradiation and visualization of the spots with pyrocatechol violet. Applications of the method to detection and quantification of organotin compounds in preservative solutions, in recently impregnated wood, and in wood samples from five-year-old window frames are described.     

XPS characterization of naturally aged wood

Wood deterioration over time (by a simultaneously biological, chemical or physical attack) is an inevitable continuous process in the environment. This process destroys all heritage resulting in a loss of valuable old wooden structures and their properties. What type of deterioration occurs and how these processes impact the wood are important questions that need consideration if old wooden structures are to be studied and properly preserved.X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to analyze the undegraded (sound wood of ∼6 years) and degraded lime wood (∼150 years, ∼180 years, ∼250 years) from painting supports, differing in terms of the provenance, conservation status and environmental conditions of storage. Elaborated XPS analysis (comparison of C and O individual spectra, decomposition for each atomic component, calculation of O/C ratio) provided a view of the composition of the sample surfaces analyzed. On the basis of these results, it was confirmed that significant changes occurred in the first period of ageing, the ∼150 years lime wood sample having the highest percent of the carbon atoms and the lowest percentage of oxygen atoms and, respectively O/C ratio. According to our previous studies (X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, analytical pyrolysis combined with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and ESR-spectroscopy results), these features could be attributed to the fact that hemicelluloses and amorphous cellulose are degraded in time, whereas the crystalline fraction of cellulose decreases more slowly than the amorphous one. Consequently, the observation may be made that lignin is not so easily degraded under the environmental conditions where paintings are frequently exposed.     

Fire Retarded Insulating Sheets from Recycled Materials

In this work we aimed at forming partially recycled polymer composites of appropriate mechanical properties and flame retardancy. Multilayer composite structures proved to be suitable to fulfill all of these requirements. Core-shell structures presented here contain two-component thermosets, i.e. epoxy, recycled polyurethane and polyisocyanurate, as matrices reinforced with waste fillers such as short basalt fibers and wood chips. Flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the core-shell structures were investigated by the conventional methods of characterization. The developed cost-effective multilayer composites can be applied as heat and sound insulating panels e.g. multifunctional sheets for construction or automotive industry.     

High pressure solids feeding using a lockhopper system: Design and operating experience

The feeding of solids into a high pressure reactor has always been difficult because of both high equipment costs and poor material characteristics. As part of the Solar Energy Research Institute’s investigation into the acid hydrolysis process, a lockhopper system was developed to feed wood into a vessel operating at 160°C (320°F) and 1.12 MPa (150 psig). Preliminary results show that the lockhopper operates successfully at temperature and pressure for a limited amount of time on wood sawdust. However, a problem that must be watched during operation is plugging of pneumatic lines by wood dust.     

Bis(tributyltin) oxide as a wood preservative: Its chemical nature in timber

Tributyltin compounds have been used for many years as wood preservatives. This study has provided, for the first time, an explanation for the previously reported dealkylation and/or volatilization of the tributyltin species in, and from, timber. Thus ¹¹⁹Sn NMR studies have shown that, on impregnation into timber, bis(tributyltin) oxide, (Bu₃Sn)₂O, is rapidly converted to other tributyltin species, Bu₃SnOX, and that these subsequently undergo disproportionation to Bu₄Sn and Bu₂Sn(OX)₂ compounds. We have additionally demonstrated that Bu₄Sn, so produced, is not persistent in timber and is lost by volatilization. Since the rate of disproportionation of the Bu₃SnOX species should be dependent upon the nature of the X group, it should be possible to affect significantly, if not to stop, this process by the use of alternative tributyltin fungicides, e.g. tributyltin methanesulphonate. However, tributyltin fungicides have been used successfully in wood preservation for at least 25 years. Therefore, it must be concluded that, even after disproportionation in timber, in service, sufficient preservative action is retained to prevent decay of wood under the conditions of natural exposure.     

Oxidative Ammonolysis of Birch Wood

The functional composition of oxidative ammonolysis products obtained from treatment of birch wood with ammoniacal ammonium persulfate using a mechanochemical method was studied.     

Microwave-assisted extraction of high-molecular-weight hemicelluloses from spruce wood

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) at atmospheric pressure has been demonstrated as an efficient technology for the extraction of polymeric hemicelluloses from spruce sawdust. This technology was shown to be more efficient than conventional extraction. MAE leads to a high solubilization of wood and a selective extraction of hemicellulose polymers with high molecular weights. To optimize MAE, different treatment powers (125–573 W) of presoaked spruce sawdust in water and 1 M sodium hydroxide solution for a period of 60 min were tested. The yield of hemicellulose extraction increased with the microwave power in both mediums, but with a clear advantage for presoaked samples in basic medium. The characterization of extracted hemicelluloses has shown high extraction selectivity depending on the medium of impregnation of sawdust before MAE: High-molecular-mass acetylated galactoglucomannans (M_w ∼ 41 kDa) were isolated after presoaking in water and higher molecular mass arabinoglucoronoxylans (M_w ∼ 66 kDa) in basic medium.     

MR Study of Water Distribution in a Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Branch Using Relaxometry Methods

Wood is a widely used material because it is environmentally sustainable, renewable and relatively inexpensive. Due to the hygroscopic nature of wood, its physical and mechanical properties as well as the susceptibility to fungal decay are strongly influenced by its moisture content, constantly changing in the course of everyday use. Therefore, the understanding of the water state (free or bound) and its distribution at different moisture contents is of great importance. In this study, changes of the water state and its distribution in a beech sample while drying from the green (fresh cut) to the absolutely dry state were monitored by 1D and 2D ¹H NMR relaxometry as well as by spatial mapping of the relaxation times T₁ and T₂. The relaxometry results are consistent with the model of homogeneously emptying pores in the bioporous system with connected pores. This was also confirmed by the relaxation time mapping results which revealed the moisture transport in the course of drying from an axially oriented early- and latewood system to radial rays through which it evaporates from the branch. The results of this study confirmed that MRI is an efficient tool to study the pathways of water transport in wood in the course of drying and is capable of determining the state of water and its distribution in wood.