Hi!

Im new to science!

My project for school is to find chemicals that break down wood. I tried searching google but it didnt have the specific answers I needed. Any Information or comments are welcome.

 

Thanks a lot John!

Wood is basically a differently assembled form of cellulose. I can't remember the exact chemical linkage details but if you added the word cellulose to your search I'm sure you'd have more luck.

sodium or potassium hydroxide will break down wood quite well, in fact it`s used in making the wood pulp in the Paper industry.

If your project gives you style points, you can go for cellulase enzyme, but it ain't cheap:

http://www.worthington-biochem.com/CEL/cat.html

I always though wood lignin not cellulose?

sodium or potassium hydroxide will break down wood quite well, in fact it`s used in making the wood pulp in the Paper industry.

 

Hmm... what about something on the other end of the scale, something like Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric acid or Nitric acid... or even the dreaded Hydrofluric acid?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

I always though wood lignin not cellulose?

Wood contains many substances including lignin, but it's mostly cellulose. Termites use cellulase they get from symbiotes in their gut to digest wood.

Wood contains many substances including lignin, but it's mostly cellulose. Termites use cellulase they get from symbiotes in their gut to digest wood.

 

You could get some goats to come and eat it, they eat just about everything :S

 

Cows can also digest cellulose but I'm not sure they like the wood type

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

Thanks a lot for the information, I guess Ill try all the techniques to see which one is the most efficient and the cheapest!

 

Thanks again and Cheers!

fire breaks down wood.

Yeah but fire isn't a chemical, rather a release of energy

Hmm... what about something on the other end of the scale' date=' something like Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric acid or Nitric acid... or even the dreaded Hydrofluric acid?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones[/quote']

 

I`m sure in paper treatment that the Hydroxides are neutralised at some point (probably with some sort of acid) and on occasion for certain types of paper Chlorine is used to Bleach it. but that proc only affects the impurities and does to little to the actual cellulose itself.