Supercritical Fluid Extraction as a Method of Thermochemical Activation of Wood Cell Walls

Abstract

The thermochemical activation of the lignocarbohydrate matrix by supercritical (SC) fluid extraction was studied. Labile and stable regions of lignocarbohydrate formations distributed in the cell wall were revealed. Changes in the composition and morphology of the wood substance during the treatment were determined. Supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide was shown to be a useful method for selective treatment of the weak H-bonds of the lignocarbohydrate complex to obtain new data on the structure and composition of the wood substance and its components.