Studies on the permanence of wood (XI)

The crystallized region of cellulose in old timbers

Abstract

The crystallized region content of cellulose in old timbers, HINOKI (Chamaecyparis obtusa ENDLICHER), have been estimated by BATTIST's method.
The crystallized region content of holo-cellulose in old timbers takes a nearly constant value, which is significantly higher than the values in new timbers. As the holocellulose content itself decreases gradually in old timbers, the crystallized cellulose content in unit mass of old timbers increases first, and then decreases slowly with time.
The same type of variation of crystallized cellulose content as in old timbers, is produced by heating wooden powd er.