Impact of iron(II) and oxygen on degradation of oak – modeling of the Vasa wood
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Shahin Norbakhsh
Abstract
In the wood of the Swedish 17th century warship Vasa, iron (Fe)-catalyzed chemical degradation has taken place after the salvation in 1961, which is manifested in increased acidity accompanied by cellulose degradation and reduced strength in the oak hull. Model studies on fresh oak impregnated with Fe(II) also led to tensile strength (TS) reduction in the same order of magnitude as observed in the wood of the Vasa. In the present study, further experiments have been performed concerning the Fe-catalyzed wood degradation. Namely, the degree of wood degradation was monitored quantitatively by measurement of the O2 consumption of Fe(II)-impregnated oak, kept in closed vials with different relative humidities (RH), as a function of time. The initial O2 consumption was high and declined with time. After 200 days, the accumulated O2 consumption was 0.3–0.4 mmol g-1 wood. Degradation products with low molecular weight were analyzed. The release of CO2 and oxalic acid (OA) was positively correlated with RH (0.235 and 0.044 mmol g-1, respectively, at RH98% after 200 days). Samples kept for 1500 days at RH54% had accumulated 0.044 mmol OA g-1 wood, which is equal to the average OA content in the interior of Vasa oak (corresponding to 4 mg g-1). Oak samples, from which extractives had been removed prior to Fe(II) impregnation, did not change their O2 consumption or TS reduction compared to the nonextracted samples, indicating that extractives are not essential for cellulose degradation in this context.
Acknowledgments
Parts of this project were performed within 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), the National Maritime Museums, and the Swedish National Heritage Board is gratefully acknowledged.
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© 2014 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Articles
- Lignin chemistry and topochemistry during kraft delignification of Eucalyptus globulus genotypes with contrasting pulpwood characteristics
- Rapid functionalisation of cellulose-based materials using a mixture containing laccase activated lauryl gallate and sulfonated lignin
- Aggregation of sodium lignosulfonate above a critical temperature
- Impact of iron(II) and oxygen on degradation of oak – modeling of the Vasa wood
- Morphological, thermal, and structural aspects of dried and redispersed nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)
- Effects of recovered wood on the formaldehyde release of particleboards
- Oxalic acid production and metal removal during fungal degradation of CCA-treated wood in nutrient culture
- Analysis of cold temperature effect on stress wave velocity in green wood
- Finite element modeling and experimental validation of radio frequency heating (RFH) of curved laminated wood-based panels
- Anti-termitic potential of heartwood and bark extract and chemical compounds isolated from Madhuca utilis Ridl. H. J. Lam and Neobalanocarpus heimii King P. S. Ashton
- Effects of thermal modification on wood ultrastructure analyzed with crystallographic texture
- Short Notes
- Potential contribution of anion exclusion to hydroxide penetration in green liquor-modified kraft pulping
- Improving the weathering on larch wood samples by electron beam irradiation (EBI)
- Effect of plasma treatment on cell-wall adhesion of urea-formaldehyde resin revealed by nanoindentation
- Imaging hyphal growth of Physisporinus vitreus in Norway spruce wood by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
- Meetings
- Meetings
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Original Articles
- Lignin chemistry and topochemistry during kraft delignification of Eucalyptus globulus genotypes with contrasting pulpwood characteristics
- Rapid functionalisation of cellulose-based materials using a mixture containing laccase activated lauryl gallate and sulfonated lignin
- Aggregation of sodium lignosulfonate above a critical temperature
- Impact of iron(II) and oxygen on degradation of oak – modeling of the Vasa wood
- Morphological, thermal, and structural aspects of dried and redispersed nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC)
- Effects of recovered wood on the formaldehyde release of particleboards
- Oxalic acid production and metal removal during fungal degradation of CCA-treated wood in nutrient culture
- Analysis of cold temperature effect on stress wave velocity in green wood
- Finite element modeling and experimental validation of radio frequency heating (RFH) of curved laminated wood-based panels
- Anti-termitic potential of heartwood and bark extract and chemical compounds isolated from Madhuca utilis Ridl. H. J. Lam and Neobalanocarpus heimii King P. S. Ashton
- Effects of thermal modification on wood ultrastructure analyzed with crystallographic texture
- Short Notes
- Potential contribution of anion exclusion to hydroxide penetration in green liquor-modified kraft pulping
- Improving the weathering on larch wood samples by electron beam irradiation (EBI)
- Effect of plasma treatment on cell-wall adhesion of urea-formaldehyde resin revealed by nanoindentation
- Imaging hyphal growth of Physisporinus vitreus in Norway spruce wood by means of confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM)
- Meetings
- Meetings
