Thermal behavior of some wood species treated with ionic liquid

The thermal behavior of two wood species treated with ionic liquid, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, was investigated using thermogravimetry/differential scanning calorimetry/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy/mass spectrometry coupled methods in order to elucidate the ionic liquid effect on the wood thermal behavior. It was pointed out that the ionic liquid-treated wood samples show degradation in two processes. The effect of the ionic liquid on wood depends on the wood species. Untreated fir wood exhibited superior thermal stability compared to ionic liquid-treated fir, while the treatment of beech wood with ionic liquid has an improved thermal stability comparatively with untreated wood. New compounds have been identified in released gases during thermal decomposition because of ionic liquid-wood interaction. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.