Guest DirtyChem Posted November 30, 2005 Share Posted November 30, 2005 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treva Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 sodium or potassium hydroxide will break down wood quite well, in fact it`s used in making the wood pulp in the Paper industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj47 Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 I always though wood lignin not cellulose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanJ Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AL Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanJ Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 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 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DirtyChem Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 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! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
insane_alien Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 fire breaks down wood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treva Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Yeah but fire isn't a chemical, rather a release of energy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YT2095 Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 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. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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