A fundamental understanding of the factors controlling the solubility of wood biopolymers in solutions is essential in order to develop new materials, for example films and barriers, from different hemicelluloses in wood. The solubility and solution properties of a range of hemicelluloses have been studied by applying different scattering techniques and microscope methods. Selectively extracted hemicelluloses were investigated by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) and Static Light Scattering (SLS) followed by Molecular mass (M<sub>w</sub>) analysis through Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). A detailed analysis of sizes and molecular weights suggests that most of the chosen hemicelluloses are not dissolved in aqueous media. By comparing M<sub>w </sub>data and dimensions from DLS/SLS measurements it is obvious that the hemicelluloses are aggregated even though they are producing visibly clear dispersions. The morphology of the selected polysaccharides and their aggregates has been probed by Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The results are in agreement with the size measured through DLS and SLS and indicate large clusters in the investigated samples. The aim of these investigations is to characterize the solubility of the hemicelluloses in terms of χ-parameter and second virial coefficients, but the work so far has been focused on establishing whether the hemicelluloses are soluble or not in aqueous media.The determined solubility properties of the hemicelluloses will then be used to predict how these polymers will adsorb to lignin and cellulose model-surfaces in order to forecast how they will interact with fibers and fibrils in different composites and how they can be modified to tune this interaction. Model adsorption experiments with high resolution spectroscopy will be used to test the developed models.

Solubility and adsorption of wood biopolymers at model surfaces

251st National Meeting (2016)

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