Analysis of the temperature dependence of water sorption for wood on the basis of dual mode theory

Abstract

Isotherm curves of water sorption for wood at various temperatures were analyzed based on the dual mode theory where the total coverage was represented by a linear combination of the Langmuir and Henry equations. The saturation concentration and affinity constant of the Langmuir equation and the parameter of Henry's law had a transition point near 60°C. The analysis based on the dual mode theory found that the constants for whole wood were related to those of wood components and depended more on their glass transition temperatures. That is, it was theoretically demonstrated that the characteristic tem-perature dependence of water sorption for wood occurs because wood consists of three components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) with different glass transition temperatures. © 2006 The Japan Wood Research Society.