Oral presentation

10.2 3D-Visualisation of the nanoscale properties of cellulose microfibrils in wood by  combined SWAXS and high-resolution microtomography 

Mira Viljanen

Beamline Scientist

Lund University

Co-author(s):
Samuel McDonald, MAX IV Laboratory
Vahid Haghighat, MAX IV Laboratory
Kim Nygård, MAX IV Laboratory

As the demand for sustainable products grows, forest-derived materials, particularly biodegradable, lignocellulosic plant fibres, play an essential role in addressing global societal and economic needs. These materials owe their exceptional mechanical properties to the hierarchical arrangement of their cellular structures, composite-like cell walls and the ultrastructural characteristics of the cellulose microfibrils. This is the case especially for wood, in which the average orientation of the cellulose microfibrils and interconnections between the different levels of structures in the supporting tissues affect the strength and elastic modulus [1,2].  A detailed understanding of the structural properties at micro-, nano-, and atomistic scales is crucial for designing and manufacturing long-lasting products with desired properties. In this work, we explored the nanoscale properties of cellulose microfibrils in young silver birch branches, using a combination of high-resolution microtomography (µCT) and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) tomography. The unique capabilities of these methods, offered at the ForMAX beamline at MAX IV Laboratory [3,4], allows the determination of the microfibril orientation (MFA) and crystallinity in 3D while correlating the scattering data with the cellular structures visible in the µCT reconstructions. This approach demonstrates the power of combined X-ray imaging techniques for multimodal characterization of hierarchical materials, emphasizing their potential in advancing the development of cellulose-based, sustainable products.

References:[1] Tanabe, J. et al., 2017. Radial and between-family variations of the microfibril angle and the relationships with bending properties in Picea jezoensis families. Scand. J. For. Res., 32(1), pp.39-44. https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2016.1186217 [2] Wang, Y. et al., 2021. Wood mechanical properties and their correlation with microstructure in Chinese fir clones. IAWA J., 42(4), pp.497-506. https://doi.org/10.1163/22941932-bja10047 [3] Nygård, K. et al., 2024. ForMAX–a beamline for multiscale and multimodal structural characterization of hierarchical materials. J. Synchrotron Rad. 31(2). https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600577524001048 [4] Viljanen, M. et al., 2024. Zooming into Hierarchical Materials by Combined Microtomographic and Scattering-Based Imaging. Synchrotron Radiat. News, pp.1-6. https://doi.org/10.1080/08940886.2024.2414720

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