Study of the use of organosolv lignin as bio-preservative of wood

IRG/WP 12-30603

P S B dos Santos, A Garcia, P H G de Cademartori, D A Gatto, J Labidi

The service life of wood depends on the species, use and environmental conditions of exposure. The treatment of wood protects it against degradation by xylophagous agents, enhancing the durability of material up to 10 times, and reducing the deforestation around 12.5%. In this way, the use of treatments is necessary because increases the service life of material and protect against xylophagous agents who degrade the wood. The study and development of new preservative products for wood are necessary in order to substitute heavy metals-based preservatives, such as CCA (Chromated Cooper Arsenate) that entails environmental risks. Lignin is considered as a residue in pulp and paper production processes, being mainly used as fuel in the recovery boiler for energy generation. However, more valuable uses of lignin could be developed for several interesting applications such as bio-preservative activity. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the properties of eucalyptus organosolv lignin, obtained by using 60% (v/v) ethanol/water solution, in a solid/liquid ratio of 1:10, at 180 ◦C for 90 min. The resulting lignin samples were characterized by different analytical techniques such as FTIR, GPC, and TGA. Furthermore, the antioxidant potential of lignin by ABTS method and the fungicide potential by ASTM D 2017 – 81 were analyzed. The analyzed lignin showed neutralization and inhibition activities (antioxidant capacity). These characteristics demonstrated that lignin could be an excellent wood bio-preservative obtained from renewable sources.


Keywords: wood treatment, wood preservation, wood quality

Conference: 2012-07-08/13 Estoril, Portugal


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