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 TECHNICAL N O TfE— isk^m b e r 235 
 
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 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE f ^^kU^EN' 
 
 FOREST PRODUCTS LABORATORY 
 MADISON 5. WISCONSIN I / REVISED- '~ Octobe.T 1962 
 
 CHEMICAL ANALYSES OF ^WU 
 
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 Not infrequently the Forest Products Laboratory receives requests for 
 complete chemical analyses of wood, when inquiry shows that the infor- 
 mation wanted is not general but specific, as for instance: Will this 
 wood spoil the flavor of foods ? Will it make a good storage battery 
 separator? How can it be bleached? Is it resistant to acid? What is 
 the coloring matter in this wood? Why won't our make of water-proofing 
 compound stick to this wood? 
 
 Ordinarily, analyses of wood are expressed in such terms as cellulose, 
 lignin, methoxyl, water-soluble content, and pentosans. The most elab- 
 orate figures on such constituents, obtained after much time and trouble, 
 may not give the desired answer to a specific question about a piece of 
 wood, whereas some simple practical test or one or two specific (partial) 
 chemical determinations would yield all the information needed; or the 
 answer to the particular question may already be known. 
 
 Value of Chemical Analysis. --"Complete" analyses of wood are of impor- 
 tance in the study of changes that occur in wood subjected to various 
 conditions. They have furnished valuable information on the processes 
 of wood decay, and on the manner of damage wrought by marine wood 
 borers and by white ants. Similar data on wood attacked by other pests 
 would probably be of use in the work of control or suppression. Wood 
 analyses have thrown light on the gradual conversion of wood into coal, 
 and on differences between various parts of the tree structure. By aid- 
 ing the study of pulping reactions at successive stages they lead to closer 
 control of and better technique in pulping. 
 
 Specific chemical determination may serve important needs. The pro- 
 portion of alpha-cellulose in a given wood may indicate its value as raw 
 material for rayon, cellophane, and the like. Determination of extrac- 
 tive matter (gums, oils, resins, etc. ) is often of first importance. High 
 ether-soluble content denotes resin, as in southern pine "lightwood. " 
 Water-soluble material may indicate tannins, dye components, or val- 
 uable carbohydrates. The amount of water-soluble or alkali-soluble 
 extractives may determine the usefulness of a wood for various types 
 of tanks and containers. Methoxyl content is of interest to the wood dis- 
 tiller. 
 
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Question of Species. --It is impossible by chemical analysis of wood 
 substance to identify the exact species of a piece of wood. The deter- 
 mination of extractives may aid in identifying a species, but this is sel- 
 dom conclusive in itself. In identifying species, wood structure is more 
 decisive than the chemistry of wood. 
 
 Hardwoods and Softwoods. - -Between the two broad classes of hardwoods 
 and softwoods, however, the chemist can distinguish. Reference to the 
 table on the inside pages will show that hardwoods are about twice as 
 high in pentosan content as softwoods, and that they give a higher yield 
 of acetic acid on hydrolysis. Usually, also, hardwoods are higher in 
 methoxyl content than softwoods. 
 
 Heartwood and Sapwood. --In softwoods, the water-soluble and ether- 
 soluble extractives are all higher in the heartwood than in the sapwood, 
 while the cellulose and lignin percentages are generally lower. In the 
 case of hardwoods it is less easy to generalize. In some species, as 
 the oaks, extractives run higher and cellulose lower in the heartwood 
 than in the sapwood; in others, as pignut hickory, the opposite is the 
 case. 
 
 Springwood generally has more lignin and less cellulose than has sum- 
 merwood. 
 
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 
 
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