Deswelling of microfibril bundles in drying wood studied by small-angle neutron scattering and molecular dynamics

Deswelling of microfibril bundles in drying wood studied by small-angle neutron scattering and molecular dynamics

Year of publication

2021

Authors

Zitting, Aleksi; Paajanen, Antti; Rautkari, Lauri; Penttilä, Paavo A.

Abstract

<p>Abstract: Structural changes of cellulose microfibrils and microfibril bundles in unmodified spruce cell wall due to drying in air were investigated using time-resolved small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The scattering analysis was supported with dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) measurements to quantify the macroscopic drying kinetics. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out to aid in understanding the molecular-level wood-water interactions during drying. Both SANS experiments and simulations support the notion that individual cellulose microfibrils remain relatively unaffected by drying. There is, however, a significant decrease in fibril-to-fibril distances in microfibril bundles. Both scattering and DVS experiments showed two distinct drying regions: constant-rate drying and falling-rate drying. This was also supported by the MD simulation results. The shrinking of the fibril bundles starts at the boundary of these two regions, which is accompanied by a strong decrease in the diffusivity of water in between the microfibrils. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]</p>
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Organizations and authors

Aalto University

Zitting Aleksi Orcid -palvelun logo

Rautkari Lauri Orcid -palvelun logo

Penttilä Paavo Orcid -palvelun logo

Publication type

Publication format

Article

Parent publication type

Journal

Article type

Original article

Audience

Scientific

Peer-reviewed

Peer-Reviewed

MINEDU's publication type classification code

A1 Journal article (refereed), original research

Publication channel information

Publisher

SPRINGER

Volume

28

Issue

17

Pages

10765-10776

​Publication forum

53222

​Publication forum level

2

Open access

Open access in the publisher’s service

Yes

Open access of publication channel

Partially open publication channel

Self-archived

Yes

Other information

Fields of science

Materials engineering

Internationality of the publisher

International

Language

English

International co-publication

No

Co-publication with a company

No

DOI

10.1007/s10570-021-04204-y

The publication is included in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s Publication data collection

Yes

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