Atomic force microscope(AFM) was used to investigate the arrangement of cellulose microfibrils (CMF) in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) fibers. Two methods of sample preparation were used here for different purposes. The first method was chemical maceration with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and glacial acetic acid, through which the obtained fibers were suitable for observing the orientation of CMF in the primary wal1. The other method was to prepare tangential microtomed sections with a thickness of approximately 30 μm, which was used to investigate the arrangement of CMF in the inner wall of cell cavity of bamboo fibers. The results indicated that the CMF are randomly oriented in the primary wall while in the inner wall of cell cavity they are nearly vertical to the long axis of fibers , which is similar to the arrangement of CMF in the corresponding layer of wood fibers. Meanwhile, the highly oriented arrangement of CMF is also observed in a certain layer of bamboo fibers, though it is incapable of determining which layer it is in this study. The pilot investigation demonstrates that AFM is a powerful tool for the high-resolution observation of CMF in bamboo fibers, meanwhile it has the advantages of simple procedure of sample preparation and easy operation compared to the traditional transmission electron microscopy.
YU Yan JIANG Zehui WANG Ge QIN Daochun CHENG Qiang International Centre for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing 100102, P. R. China
The microfibril angle of fiber walls is an ultra-mieroscopic feature affecting the performance of wood products. It is therefore essential to get more definitive information to improve selection and utilization. X-ray diffraction is a rapid method for measuring microfibril angles. In this paper, the variability of microfibril angle in plantation-grown Masson pine was investigated by peak-fitting method. This method was compared with the traditional hand-drawn method, 40% peak height method and half peak height method. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the microfibril angle changed as a function of the position in the tree. The mean microfibril angle decreased more gradually as the distance increased from the pith and reached the same level in mature wood. The microfibril angle also seemed to decrease clearly from the base upward. Differences of angle-intensity curves between heartwood and sapwood were also examined.
It has been repeatedly observed that the mechanical properties of microtomed wood sections are significantly lower than those of samples of normal size, but few investigations have been conducted to deal with this topic, especially based on theoretical approaches. We measured the longitudinal MOE of Chinese fir on microtomed sections ranging in thickness from 70 to 200 μm and compared these with the values of samples of normal size. The results indicate that the MOE of microtomed wood sections increases with thickness from 70 to 200 μm, but is significantly less than that of normal samples. A size effect coefficient of 2.63 is inferred based on statistical data for samples of normal size and 200 μm thick microtomed sections. Finally, an explanation based on a complete shear restraint model of cell walls and a single fiber multi-ply model is proposed for the size effect on stiffness of microtomed wood sections.
