Satoru Tsuchikawa

A Review of Recent Near Infrared Research for Wood and Paper

Abstract This review article introduces recent technical and scientific reports in terms of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in the wood and paper science and industry, where interest has increased during the last couple decades. Many researchers reported the NIR technique was useful to detect multi information in both chemical and physical properties of wood materials, although it was widely used in a state where characteristic cellular structure was retained. In the case of application of NIR spectroscopy to pulp and paper, many publications have pointed out its high probability as online measurement techniques during paper‐making process control. Arguments referred to the importance of NIR spectroscopy as fundamental and applied research of wood and paper.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Monitoring of the Diffusion Process of Deuterium-Labeled Molecules in Wood. Part II: Hardwood

The diffusion process of several molecules (D2O, n-butanol (OD) and t-butanol (OD)) in softwood (Sitka spruce) was investigated by means of a deuterium exchange method and Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) polarization spectroscopy. The location of OH groups in different states of order of cellulose in wood was clarified by analyzing the FT-NIR transmission spectra ranging from 7200 to 6000 cm−1. Four absorption bands were assigned to 2 × v(OH) absorptions of the amorphous regions, OH groups in semi-crystalline regions, and two types of intramolecular hydrogen-bonded OH groups in the crystalline regions, respectively. The saturation level of accessibility was very different for these absorption bands (i.e., 70–80, 60, and 40–50% for the amorphous, semi-crystalline, and crystalline regions, respectively). However, the saturation accessibilities for each absorption band varied little with molecular structure and geometry of the diffusants. The diffusion rate of D2O was much faster than that of n-butanol (OD) and t-butanol (OD) for all states of orders. The size effect of the butanols led to slight differences in the diffusive transport in the crystalline regions.

A Review of Recent Near-Infrared Research for Wood and Paper (Part 2)

Abstract: This review article introduces recent technical and scientific reports on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in the wood and paper industry, which have increased during the last decade. Many researchers have reported that the NIR technique is useful for detection of both chemical and physical properties of wood materials and has been widely used in cases where the characteristic cellular structure of the material is retained. With regard to application of NIR spectroscopy to pulp and paper, many publications have reported its potential as an on-line measurement technique during paper-making process control. NIR spectroscopy is considered fundamental in applied research on wood and paper. Utilization of NIR spectroscopy in the wood and paper industry should take into account its applicability and limitations as a nondestructive technique.

Difference of the Crystal Structure of Cellulose in Wood after Hydrothermal and Aging Degradation: A NIR Spectroscopy and XRD Study

The change of crystalline structure in hydrothermally treated hinoki wood was investigated by means of Fourier-transform near-infrared spectroscopy in combination with a deuterium exchange method and X-ray diffraction. The results were compared with analogous data of dry-exposed archeological wood taken from an old wooden temple. Although the decomposition of the amorphous regions in cellulose and hemicelluloses, which corresponds to an increase of the degree of crystallinity, was observed for both, archeologically and hydrothermally treated wood, the increase of crystallite thickness was confirmed only for hydrothermally treated wood. The increase of the average size of crystallites corresponds well to the measured decrease of the deuteration accessibility of the crystalline regions. As the accessibility of the crystalline regions decreased for both, D(2)O and t-butanol, it is assumed that due to the expansion of the crystalline domains by hydrothermal treatment several elementary fibrils are arranged at distances below 0.3 nm.

Application of near infrared spectroscopy for estimating wood mechanical properties of small clear and full length lumber specimens

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, coupled with multivariate analytic statistical techniques, has been used to predict the mechanical properties of solid wood samples taken from small clear and full length lumber specimens of hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × Larix kaempferi). The specific mechanical characteristics evaluated were modulus of elasticity (MOE), modulus of rupture (MOR) in bending tests, maximum crushing strength in compression parallel to grain (CS), dynamic modulus of elasticity of air-dried lumbers (Efr), and wood density (DEN). Partial least squares (PLS) regression calibrations were developed for each wood property. The calibrations had relatively strong relationships between laboratory-measured and NIR-predicted values in small clear specimens, with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.61 to 0.89. The calibration models were applied to the prediction data sets and results suggested that NIR spectroscopy has the potential to predict mechanical properties of small clears with adequate accuracy (standardised prediction error=2.06-2.82). The PLS models based on spectra from the radial face (R2 = 0.73-0.89) of wood were slightly superior to those from the tangential face (R2 = 0.61-0.84). This might be due to the differences of the surface condition in terms of the anatomical structures and, thus, radial face better represents the sample. A reasonable predictive model for wood stiffness was also obtained from the full length lumber specimens, but the accuracy of the calibration for prediction was less than the small clear specimens (R2 = 0.49-0.78). The regression coefficients obtained from the PLS models showed similar trends in all mechanical properties. It was suggested that the absorption bands due to the OH-groups in cellulose were the major contributors to building robust models for predicting the mechanical properties of wood

Near-infrared spectroscopic observation of the ageing process in archaeological wood using a deuterium exchange method

The ageing degradation of the fine wood structure of dry-exposed archaeological wood was investigated by Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy with the aid of a deuterium exchange method. The archaeological wood sample was taken from an old wooden temple in Japan (late 7th century), which has been designated as a UNESCO world heritage site. Comparing the analytical results with those of a modern wood sample of the same species, the ageing process of archaeological wood was clarified as a change in the state of order on a macromolecular structural level. It can be concluded from NIR spectra that the amorphous region, and partially semi-crystalline region, in cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin decreased by the ageing degradation, whereas the crystalline region in cellulose was not affected by the ageing. The accessibility of the diffusant to effect H/D-exchange was monitored by an OH-related absorption band obtained from FT-NIR transmission spectroscopy and characteristically varied with the ageing process of the wood samples, the absorption bands characteristic of a specific state of order and the diffusion agent. Finally, we proposed a morphological model to describe the variation of the fine structure of the microfibrils in the cell wall with ageing degradation. The state of microfibrils changed loosely by ageing, so that elementary fibrils were arranged loosely under 5 A, whereas several elementary fibrils in the modern wood were arranged in very close proximity under 3 A to each other.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopic Study of the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Wood with Meso- and Micro-Scale Anatomical Observation:

Estimation of the density along with the tensile strength of wood within both the elastic and plastic deformation ranges, represented as modulus of elasticity (MOE) and ultimate tensile stress (UTS), respectively, were performed using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. A partial least squares (PLS) analysis was applied to the measurements of density, MOE, and UTS, and resulted in a high accuracy of prediction, independent of wood species. The correlation coefficient between the NIR spectra and criterion variables, and the regression vector resulting from the PLS analysis, suggested that the characteristic absorption bands were strongly related to the predictability of each property. In the case of softwood, absorption bands due to intra-molecular hydrogen-bonded OH groups in the crystalline regions of cellulose, which are oriented preferentially in a direction parallel to the cellulose chain, might strongly affect the tensile strength of softwood. Hardwoods have much more complex and variable structures than softwoods; therefore, it was supposed that the key factor governing the tensile strength in hardwood would be the interaction between the three principal constituents (i.e., cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) of wood.

A review of recent application of near infrared spectroscopy to wood science and technology

This review article introduces recent scientific and technical reports due to near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) at wood science and technology, most of which was published between 2006 and 2013. Many researchers reported that NIR technique was useful to detect multi traits of chemical, physical, mechanical and anatomical properties of wood materials although it was widely used in a state where characteristic cellular structure was retained. However, we should be sensitive and careful for application of NIRS, when spectra coupled with chemometrics presents unexpected good results (especially, for mechanical physical and anatomical properties). The real application for on-line or at-line monitoring in wood industry is desired as next step. Basic spectroscopic research for wooden material is also progressed. It should be a powerful and meaningful analytical spectroscopic tool.

Rapid assessment of wood chemical properties and pulp yield of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in Thailand tree plantations by near infrared spectroscopy for improving wood selection for high quality pulp

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been demonstrated as a means for rapid nondestructive determination of the chemical composition and final pulp yield of Eucalyptus camaldulensis in Thailand tree plantations. Multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis and partial least squares (PLS) analysis were introduced to develop statistical models in terms of calibration equations for total pulp yield, screened pulp yield, and contents of α-cellulose, pentosans, and lignin in wood. In MLR analysis, a reasonably good calibration equation was found only for pentosans (standard error of prediction (SEP): 0.98%). The PLS analysis improved the accuracy of prediction for every criterion variable, especially for pentosans (SEP: 0.91%) and lignin (SEP: 0.52%). Also, in the case of screened pulp yield, we were able to use such a statistical result as an indicator of the characteristics of the pulp and paper. Thus, NIR spectroscopy could be satisfactorily used as an effective assessment technique for Eucalyptus camaldulensis plantation trees.

Estimation of Wood Stiffness and Strength Properties of Hybrid Larch by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

This work was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for estimating wood mechanical properties, i.e., modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) in bending tests. Two sample sets having large and limited density variation were prepared to examine the effects of wood density on estimation of MOE and MOR by the NIR technique. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis was employed and it was found that the relationships between laboratory-measured and NIR-predicted values were good in the case of sample sets having large density variation. MOE could be estimated even when density variation in the sample set was limited. It was concluded that absorption bands due to the OH group in the semi-crystalline or crystalline regions of cellulose strongly influenced the calibrations for bending stiffness of hybrid larch. This was also suggested from the result that both α-cellulose content and cellulose crystallinity showed moderate positive correlation to wood stiffness.