Fractal dimension of wood cell wall pores from pore size distribution: insights from nitrogen gas adsorption analyzer

Understanding wood cell wall pore geometry and distribution is the basis for studying its macroscopic properties. This research investigated the pore fractal dimension using the pore size distribution of selected softwoods and hardwoods. Nitrogen gas analyzer was used to study the detailed structural parameters of wood pore size distributions and use as a raw data to assess their fractal dimension. The results revealed significant variability in pore size distribution, porosity, pore volume, specific surface area, and fractal dimension. The cell wall pore size distribution ranged from 1.41 (minimum) to 442 nm (maximum). Western red cedar heartwood and sapwood show a higher and lower number of micropores, respectively, in the wood cell wall. The results also showed that the fractal dimensions of the cell wall pore spaces of wood vary between 2.92 and 2.97. There was no significant difference in fractal dimensions between wood types and species.