FT-IR STUDY OF MAPLE WOOD CHANGES DUE TO CO2 LASER IRRADIATION

The paper reports on the wood component changes caused by laser beam irradiation. A 500 x 150 x 15 mm maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) board was irradiated by a CO2 laser beam, at different values of exposure energy (expressed as irradiation dose). Changes in the absorption intensities due to degradation and condensation reactions of the main wood components were observed by infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). When increasing the irradiation dose (from 18 to 57 Jcm(-1)), the degradation of hemicelluloses was predominantly observed, while lignin was degraded at a lower irradiation dose and, at a higher energy dosage, lignin condensation occurred.