Mimicking of the strength loss in the Vasa: model experiments with iron-impregnated recent oak
-
Shahin Norbakhsh
Abstract
Previous studies of the oak wood of the 17th century warship the Vasa have shown significant changes in the chemical and mechanical properties compared with recent oak. The most important factors contributing to these changes are the incorporation of iron compounds during waterlogging and the uptake of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the course of the 17 years of preservation treatment. To investigate the effect of iron-dependent oxidative degradation reactions, recent oak wood samples were impregnated with aqueous iron(II) chloride solution (0.1 M) and thereafter exposed to air or pure oxygen at controlled relative humidity in long-term experiments followed by tensile strength (TS) measurements. The iron-impregnated samples exposed to oxygen displayed significant effects already after 1 week and the reduction in TS was ~50% after 1 year. The samples treated with additional PEG displayed less TS reduction, whereas the addition of cysteine had no effect. The size exclusion chromatography of treated samples showed that the average molecular weight of holocellulose had decreased. The results confirm that iron compounds have a detrimental effect in wood and indicate that PEG might act as an antioxidant for the degradation processes. Concerning the Vasa, it may be concluded that most degradation related to iron compounds and oxidative processes have taken place during the first period of conservation when the wood was exposed to oxygen in a still very humid state. Thus, the current rate of oxidative degradation under the present relatively dry museum conditions should be relatively low.
This project is part of The Swedish National Maritime Museums research program “A Future for Vasa”. Financial support from The Swedish Science Research Council (VR), The Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF), The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (FORMAS), The Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA), and the National Maritime Museums is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks to Evalisa Lindfors (Innventia AB) for performing the SEC analyses and Prof. Lars Ivar Elding for the valuable comments on the article.
References
Almkvist, G., Persson, I. (2008a) Analysis of acids and degradation products related to iron and sulfur in the Swedish warship Vasa. Holzforschung 62:694–702.10.1515/HF.2008.130Search in Google Scholar
Almkvist, G., Persson, I. (2008b) Fenton-induced degradation of polyethylene glycol and oak holocellulose. A model experiment in comparison to changes observed in conserved waterlogged wood. Holzforschung 62:704–708.10.1515/HF.2008.129Search in Google Scholar
Almkvist, G., Persson, I. (2011) Distribution of iron and sulfur and their speciation in relation to degradation processes in wood from the Swedish warship Vasa. New J. Chem. 35:1491–1502.Search in Google Scholar
Berthold, F., Gustafsson, K., Berggren, R., Sjöholm, E., Lindström, M. (2004) Dissolution of softwood kraft pulps by direct derivatization in lithium chloride/N,N-dimethylacetamide. J. Appl. Polymer Sci. 94:424–431.Search in Google Scholar
Bjurhager, I. (2008) Effects of polyethylene glycol treatment on the mechanical properties of oak. Lic. Thesis, KTH, Chemical Science and Engineering, Stockholm.Search in Google Scholar
Bjurhager, I., Halonen, H., Lindfors, E.-L., Iversen, T., Almkvist, G., Gamstedt, E.K., Berglund, L.A. (2012). State of degradation in archeological oak from the 17th century Vasa ship: substantial strength loss correlates with reduction in (holo)cellulose molecular weight. Biomacromolecules 13:2521–2527.Search in Google Scholar
Bjurhager, I., Ljungdahl, J., Wallström, L., Gamstedt, E.K., Berglund, L.A. (2010) Towards improved understanding of PEG-impregnated waterlogged archaeological wood: a model study on recent oak. Holzforschung 64:243–250.10.1515/hf.2010.024Search in Google Scholar
Burgaud, C., Rouchon, V., Wattiaux, A., Bleton, J., Sabot, R., Refait, P. (2010) Determination of the Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratio in iron gall inks by potentiometry: A preliminary study. J. Electroanal. Chem. 650:16–23.Search in Google Scholar
De Feber, M., Havermans, J., Defize, P. (2000) Iron-gall ink corrosion: a compound-effect study. Restaur.-Int. J. Preserv. Libr. Arch. Mater. 21:204–212.Search in Google Scholar
Fors, Y. (2008) Sulfur-related conservation concerns for marine archaeological wood – the origin, speciation and distribution of accumulated sulfur with some remedies for the Vasa. Thesis, Stockholm University, Sweden.Search in Google Scholar
Goldstone, J.V., Pullin, M.J., Bertilsson, S., Voelker, B.M. (2002) Reactions of hydroxyl radical with humic substances: bleaching, mineralization, and production of bioavailable carbon substrates. Environ. Sci. Technol. 36:364–372.10.1021/es0109646Search in Google Scholar PubMed
Guilminot, E., Dalard, F., Degrigny, C. (2002) Mechanism of iron corrosion in water-polyethylene glycol (PEG 400) mixtures. Corros. Sci. 44:2199–2208.Search in Google Scholar
Henniges, U., Banik, G., Reibke, R., Potthast, A. (2008) Studies into the early degradation stages of cellulose by different iron gall ink components. Macromol. Symp. 262:150–161.10.1002/masy.200850215Search in Google Scholar
Henry, W.P. (2003) Non-enzymatic iron, manganese, and copper chemistry of potential importance in wood decay. In: Wood deterioration and preservation. Eds. Goodell, B., Darrel, D.D., Schultz, T.P. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC. pp. 175–195.10.1021/bk-2003-0845.ch010Search in Google Scholar
Joshi, S., Husain, M.M., Chandra, R., Hasan, S.K., Srivastava, R.C. (2005) Hydroxyl radical formation resulting from the interaction of nickel complexes of L-histidine, glutathione or L-cysteine and hydrogen peroxide. Hum. Exp. Toxicol. 24:13–17.10.1191/0960327105ht493oaSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Kerem, Z., Bao, W.L., Hammel, K.E. (1998). Rapid polyether cleavage via extracellular one-electron oxidation by a brown-rot basidioemycete. Proc. Natl. Ac. Sci. USA 95:10373–10377.Search in Google Scholar
Lindfors, E.-L., Iversen, T., Lindström, M. (2008). Polysaccharide degradation in waterlogged oak wood from the ancient warship Vasa. Holzforschung 62:57–63.Search in Google Scholar
Ljungdahl, J., Berglund, L.A. (2007) Transverse mechanical behaviour and moisture absorption of waterlogged archaeological wood from the Vasa ship. Holzforschung 61:279–284.10.1515/HF.2007.048Search in Google Scholar
Marian, J.E., Wissing, A. (1960). The chemical and mechanical deterioration of wood in contact with iron. Part I: mechanical deterioration. Svensk Papperst. 63:47–57.Search in Google Scholar
Pauli, G.F., Jaki, B.U., Lankin, D.C. (2005). Quantitative H-1 NMR: development and potential of a method for natural products analysis. J. Nat. Prod. 68:133–149.Search in Google Scholar
Rouchon, V., Duranton, M., Burgaud, C., Pellizzi, E., Lavedrine, B., Janssens, K., de Nolf, W., Nuyts, G., Vanmeert, F., Hellemans, K. (2011). Room-temperature study of iron gall ink impregnated paper degradation under various oxygen and humidity conditions: time-dependent monitoring by viscosity and X-ray absorption near-edge spectrometry measurements. Anal. Chem. 83:2589–2597. Search in Google Scholar
Soriani, M., Pietraforte, D., Minetti, M. (1994) Antioxidant potential of anaerobic human plasma – role of serum-albumin and thiols as scavangers of carbon radicals. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 312:180–188.Search in Google Scholar
Stehr, M., Seltman, J., Johansson, I. (1998) UV laser ablation – an improved method of sample preparation for microscopy. Holzforschung 52:1–6.10.1515/hfsg.1998.52.1.1Search in Google Scholar
Strlic, M., Radovic, T., Kolar, J., Pihlar, B. (2002) Anti- and prooxidative properties of gallic acid in Fenton-type systems. J. Agric. Food Chem. 50:6313–6317.10.1021/jf025636jSearch in Google Scholar PubMed
Svedström, K., Bjurhager, I., Kallonen, A., Peura, M., Serimaa, R. (2012) Structure of oak wood from the Swedish warship Vasa revealed by X-ray scattering and microtomography. Holzforschung 66:355–363.10.1515/hf.2011.157Search in Google Scholar
Varela, E., Tien, M. (2003) Effect of pH and oxalate on hydroquinone-derived hydroxyl radical formation during brown rot wood degradation. Appl. Environ. Microb. 69:6025–6031.Search in Google Scholar
©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Review
- Novel cellulose-based composites based on nanofibrillated plant and bacterial cellulose: recent advances at the University of Aveiro – a review
- Original Articles
- Quantitative structural characterization of the lignins from the stem and pith of bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens)
- Fractionation and characterization of lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) of Eucalyptus globulus in residues left after MWL isolation. Part II: Analyses of xylan-lignin fraction (X-L)
- Alkali consumption of aliphatic carboxylic acids during alkaline pulping of wood and nonwood feedstocks
- Improvement of kraft pulp bleaching by treatments with laccase, urea, and refining
- Development and evaluation of new curing agents derived from glycerol for formaldehyde-free soy-based adhesives in wood composites
- Formation of highly hydrophobic wood surfaces using silica nanoparticles modified with long-chain alkylsilane
- The fracture behavior of birch and spruce in the radial-tangential crack propagation direction at the scale of the growth ring
- Flatwise Young’s modulus and flatwise shear modulus of plywood measured by flexural vibration test
- A numerical and experimental study regarding the influence of some process parameters on the damage state in wood chips
- Treatment of wood with silica sols against attack by wood-decaying fungi and blue stain
- Mimicking of the strength loss in the Vasa: model experiments with iron-impregnated recent oak
- Improved heat insulation system (Mirrorpanel) for construction of wood buildings
- Meetings
- Meetings
Articles in the same Issue
- Masthead
- Masthead
- Review
- Novel cellulose-based composites based on nanofibrillated plant and bacterial cellulose: recent advances at the University of Aveiro – a review
- Original Articles
- Quantitative structural characterization of the lignins from the stem and pith of bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens)
- Fractionation and characterization of lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) of Eucalyptus globulus in residues left after MWL isolation. Part II: Analyses of xylan-lignin fraction (X-L)
- Alkali consumption of aliphatic carboxylic acids during alkaline pulping of wood and nonwood feedstocks
- Improvement of kraft pulp bleaching by treatments with laccase, urea, and refining
- Development and evaluation of new curing agents derived from glycerol for formaldehyde-free soy-based adhesives in wood composites
- Formation of highly hydrophobic wood surfaces using silica nanoparticles modified with long-chain alkylsilane
- The fracture behavior of birch and spruce in the radial-tangential crack propagation direction at the scale of the growth ring
- Flatwise Young’s modulus and flatwise shear modulus of plywood measured by flexural vibration test
- A numerical and experimental study regarding the influence of some process parameters on the damage state in wood chips
- Treatment of wood with silica sols against attack by wood-decaying fungi and blue stain
- Mimicking of the strength loss in the Vasa: model experiments with iron-impregnated recent oak
- Improved heat insulation system (Mirrorpanel) for construction of wood buildings
- Meetings
- Meetings
