Polarized FT-IR study of cell wall of a hardwood (maple branch)

Abstract

Mechanical and physical propreties of wood fibres are dependent on the orientation of constituent polymers (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy was used to examine the orientation of the main wood polymers in transversal and longitudinal direction of the isolated cell wall of the maple branch. The polarised FTIR measurements indicated that glucomannan and xylan appear to have parallel orientation with regard to the orientation of cellulose. Lignin has also parallel orientation.