Uncovering supercritical CO2 wood dewatering via interleaved 1H-imaging and 13C-spectroscopy with real-time reconstruction

Dewatering of Juglans mandshurica Wood Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2), known for such features as good solubility and mass transfer properties, can be an efficient drying medium for various materials, such as wood, by filling the pore space and dissolving water in the cell cavity without altering the microstructure. In this study, two specimens of Juglans mandshurica wood with a length of 30 mm and 140 mm were subjected to ScCO2 dewatering under four different pressure and temperature conditions. The results showed that the drying rate is mainly influenced by pressure and temperature, with pressure having the more significant effect. Moreover, the efficiency of dewatering was not dependent on the sample length under the same conditions. The moisture content (MC) was the same along the longitudinal direction throughout both the surfaces and core of the wood. While there were no significant differences in dewatering rate between tangential and radial directions and lengths of samples, significant MC gradient differences were noted along wood in radial and tangential directions. During ScCO2 dewatering, the dominant water transfer occurred from the middle towards the end surfaces along the wood's longitudinal directions. Furthermore, ScCO2 dewatering did not result in any shrinkage or significant drying stress, but it did cause some swelling in Juglans mandshurica wood.

Effect of Samples Size on the Water Removal and Shrinkage of Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis Wood during Supercritical CO2 Dewatering

Eucalyptus urophydis E. grandis green wood with different lengths were dewatered using CO2 that was cyclically alternated between the supercritical fluid and gas phases. The results indicate that shorter specimens can be dewatered to below the fiber saturation point (FSP). There was no significant difference in the dewatering rate between the specimens of 20 and 50 mm in length. The dewatering was faster when the moisture content (MC) was over the FSP, leading to a greater gradient and a non-uniform distribution of moisture. The MC distributions in all specimens had no clear differences between in tangential and radial directions. Supercritical CO2 dewatering generated a different moisture gradient than conventional kiln drying. Most water was dewatered from the end-grain section of the wood along the fiber direction, but a small amount of water was also removed in the transverse directions. There was no deformation in the specimens when the MC was above the FSP.

Effect of Temperature and Pressure of Supercritical CO2 on Dewatering, Shrinkage and Stresses of Eucalyptus Wood

Supercritical CO2 (SuCO2) dewatering can mitigate capillary tension and reduce wood collapse. In this study, Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis specimens were dewatered by SuCO2 at temperatures of 35, 40 and 55 °C, in pressures of 10 and 30 MPa, respectively, for 1h. Effects of temperature and pressure on dewatering rate, moisture content (MC) distribution and gradient, shrinkage and residual stress of wood after dewatering were investigated. The results indicate that the SuCO2 dewatering rate is much faster than that of conventional kiln drying (CKD). The dewatering rate increases with increasing of temperature and pressure; however, pressure has a significant influence, especially for the high-temperature dewatering process; the MC distribution after 1h dewatering is uneven and MC gradients decrease with reducing of mean final MC of wood. MC gradients along radial direction are much smaller than that in tangential direction; collapse of wood significantly reduces after dewatering due to SuCO2 decreasing the capillary tension, and residual stress of wood during dewatering is mainly caused by pressure of SuCO2, which decreases with increasing temperature. SuCO2 dewatering has great potential advantages in water-removal of wood prone to collapse or deformation.

Green and Efficient Processing of Wood with Supercritical CO2: A Review

Wood processing is a crucial step of wood utilization, but the adding of environmentally hazardous feedstocks and the use of unreasonable technology allow it to harm the environment and human health. Supercritical CO2 (scCO2) is a non-toxic, odorless, and safe solvent, which is widely used in studies and industrial production, but there is no review summarizing wood processing with scCO2. The unique structure and chemical properties of wood combined with scCO2 technology produce positive results. In this paper, wood processing with scCO2 is summarized, including wood impregnation, wood drying, wood thermochemical conversion, and wood extraction. The green and efficient characteristics of wood processing with scCO2 are explained in detail for researchers, engineers, and investors to provide a clean wood processing method. Further study is needed to reduce its energy consumption and commercialize it eventually.

Dewatering Green Sapwood Using Carbon Dioxide Undergoing Cyclical Phase Change between Supercritical Fluid and Gas

Conventional kiln drying of wood operates by the evaporation of water at elevated temperature. In the initial stage of drying, mobile water in the wood cell lumen evaporates. More slowly, water bound in the wood cell walls evaporates, requiring the breaking of hydrogen bonds between water molecules and cellulose and hemicellulose polymers in the cell wall. An alternative for wood kiln drying is a patented process for green wood dewatering through the molecular interaction of supercritical carbon dioxide with water of wood cell sap. When the system pressure is reduced to below the critical point, phase change from supercritical fluid to gas occurs with a consequent large change in CO₂ volume. This results in the efficient, rapid, mechanical expulsion of liquid sap from wood. The end-point of this cyclical phase-change process is wood dewatered to the cell wall fibre saturation point. This paper describes dewatering over a range of green wood specimen sizes, from laboratory physical chemistry studies to pilot-plant trials. Magnetic resonance imaging and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were applied to study the fundamental mechanisms of the process, which were contrasted with similar studies of conventional thermal wood drying. In conclusion, opportunities and impediments towards the commercialisation of the green wood dewatering process are discussed.

Effect of Supercritical CO2 Drying on Moisture Transfer and Wood Property of Eucalyptus urophydis

Wood dried using supercritical CO2 has unique properties because water is removed directly from the cell lumens through the cycling between supercritical and gas phases. Eucalyptus urophydis green wood was dried by supercritical CO2 at 50 °C and pressure of 10, 20, and 30 MPa; the effect of supercritical CO2 drying on moisture content distribution and transfer, as well as the permeability and extractive content of the wood, was investigated. The results showed that the supercritical CO2 drying rate was high, showing the highest drying rate at 20 MPa and the lowest at 10 MPa. Drying rate increased with pressure below 20 MPa in this study; drying rate represented no positive relation to pressure over 20 Mpa. Moisture content distribution was more uneven in the low-pressure drying conditions and in the middle transverse section of the specimens. The moisture content gradient in tangential was greater than that in longitudinal, especially for the drying of 10 MPa, indicating that water was removed mainly in the former direction of wood. More extractives were removed from wood at higher pressure during supercritical CO2 drying. Bordered pits were broken up more at higher pressure conditions. The decreased extract yields and increased amount of opened bordered pits increased the permeability of the wood after supercritical CO2 drying.