Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology

The Korean Society of Wood Science & Technology (한국목재공학회)
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Relationship between Lignin Content and the Durability of Wood Pellets Fabricated Using Larix kaempferi C. Sawdust

  • Yang, In (SCION) ;
  • Jeong, Hanseob (Division of Wood Chemistry Research, National Institute of Forest Science) ;
  • Lee, Jae Jung (Division of Wood Chemistry Research, National Institute of Forest Science) ;
  • Lee, Soo Min (Division of Wood Chemistry Research, National Institute of Forest Science)
  • Received : 2018.07.17
  • Accepted : 2019.01.16
  • Published : 2019.01.25
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Abstract

This work was conducted to examine the relationship between lignin content and the durability of larch (LAR) pellets. LAR sawdust was immersed in tap water (TW), sulfuric acid (AC) and sodium hydroxide (AK) solutions, and then the immersed sawdust was used for pellet fabrication. Klason lignin (KL) content of the immersed LAR, contents of soluble lignin (SL) and monomeric sugars liberated from the immersion of LAR, and durability of LAR pellets were measured. KL content decreased as the concentration of AC and AK solutions increased, but glucose content increased with increase in AC and AK concentration. Durability of wood pellets fabricated using non-immersed LAR sawdust was the highest, followed by those made using TW-, AK- and AC-immersed sawdust. LAR pellets became more durable as the concentration of KL and SL increased, but a significant positive correlation was found only between pellet durability and KL content. Through the fluorescent microscopic observation and SEM-EDX analysis, it was verified that lignin content of non-immersed LAR pellets was higher than that of AC- and AK-immersed LAR pellets. These results suggest that lignin might contribute to an increase in inter-particle bonding in wood pellets.

Keywords

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Fig. 1. Effects of type and concentration of immersing solution on the contents of Klason (top) and soluble (bottom) lignins of larch sawdust immersed in tap water (TW), 1% and 2% sulfuric acid (AC-1% and AC-2%) and 1% and 2% sodium hydroxide (AK-1% and AK-2%) solutions. Same capital letters denote results that are not significantly different from each other at p = 0.05 (least significance difference test).

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Fig. 2. Effect of immersion time on the contents of Klason (top) and soluble (bottom) lignins of larch sawdust immersed in tap water, sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions.

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Fig. 3. Effect of type of immersing solution on the monomeric sugars content of larch sawdust immersed in tap water, sulfuric acid (top) and sodium hydroxide (bottom) solutions. Same capital letters denote results that are not significantly different from each other at p = 0.05 (least significance difference test).

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Fig. 4. Effects of type and concentration of immersing solution on the durability of wood pellets fabricated with larch sawdust, which was immersed in tap water (TW), 1% and 2% sulfuric acid (AC-1% and AC-2%) and 1% and 2% sodium hydroxide (AK-1% and AK-2%) solutions. Same capital letters denote results that are not significantly different from each other at p = 0.05 (least significance difference test).

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Fig. 5. Effect of immersion time and the concentration of immersion solution on the durability of wood pellets fabricated using larch sawdust immersed in sodium hydroxide (left) and sulfuric acid (right) solutions.

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Fig. 6. Durability of wood pellets fabricated with larch sawdust, which was immersed in tap water, sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid solutions. Results show the relationship between pellet durability and contents of Klason lignin (top-left), soluble lignin (top right), glucose (bottom-left) and galactose (bottom-right). Durability of larch pellets by content of Klason lignin = 1.51x + 48.05, r2=0.63; soluble lignin = 2.56x + 89.21, r2 = 0.12; glucose = −0.57x + 116.22, r2 = 0.21; galactose = 0.71x + 81.47, r2 = 0.04.

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Fig. 7. Fluorescent microscopic images of the surface, which was pressured by piston, of wood pellets fabricated with non- (top-left), tap water- (top-middle), 1% sulfuric acid- (top-right), 1% sodium hydroxide-(bottom-left), 2% sulfuric acid- (bottom-middle) and 2% sodium hydroxide- (bottom-right) immersed larch sawdust. The sawdust was stained with a phloroglucinol-HCl solution for 24 h. Bars = 2 mm. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.).

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Fig. 8. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images of wood pellets fabricated with A) non- (top-left), B) tap water- (top-middle), C) 1% sulfuric acid-(top-right), D) 1% sodium hydroxide- (bottom-left), E) 2% sulfuric acid- (bottom-middle) and F) 2% sodium hydroxide- (bottom-right) immersed larch sawdust. SEM image (left) and corresponding SEM-EDX (energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer) maps (right) taken of the same area of the wood pellets. Bright purple spots and arrow indicate the existence of lignin. Bars = 60μm. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.).

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Fig. 9. Content of manganese distributed on the surface of wood pellets fabricated using larch sawdust immersed in, tap water (TW), 1% sulfuric acid (AC-1%), 1% sodium hydroxide (AK-1%), 2% sulfuric acid (AC-2%), 2% sodium hydroxide (AK-2%) solutions, and non-immersed (NI) larch sawdust. The results were obtained by SEM-EDX analysis. Same capital letters denote results that are not significantly different from each other at p = 0.05 (least significance difference test).

Table 1. Fuel characteristics of wood pellets fabricated with larch sawdust immersed in tap water (TW), sodium hydroxide (AK) and sulfuric acid (AC) solutions

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