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Explaining the heat capacity of wood constituents by molecular vibrations

Thybring, Emil

In: Journal of Materials Science, 2014, vol. 49, no. 3, p. 1317-1327

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    Title
    • Explaining the heat capacity of wood constituents by molecular vibrations
    Author
    • Thybring, Emil. ETH Zürich, Institute for Building Materials, Wood Materials Science, Schafmattstrasse 6, CH 8093, Zurich, Switzerland
    Document Type
    • Postprint
    Language
    • English
    Published in
    • Journal of Materials Science, 2014, vol. 49, no. 3, p. 1317-1327. Springer US; http://www.springer-ny.com
    Other Version
    Classification
    • Engineering
    OAI-PMH Identifier
    • oai:doc.rero.ch:326548
    Summary
    The heat capacity of wood and its constituents is important for the correct evaluation of many of their thermodynamic properties, including heat exchange involved in sorption of water. In this study, the dry state heat capacity of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin are mathematically described by fundamental physical theories relating heat capacity with molecular vibrations. Based on knowledge about chemical structure and molecular vibrations derived from infrared and Raman spectroscopy, heat capacities are calculated and compared with experimental data from literature for a range of bio- and wood polymers in the temperature range 5-370K. A very close correspondence between experimental and calculated results is observed, illustrating the possibility of linking macroscopic thermodynamic properties with their physical nano-scale origin.