NEIGHBOURHOOD OF VESSELS: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND MICROFIBRIL ANGLE OF FIBRE WITHIN <em>ACACIA</em> <em>MANGIUM</em>

Abstract

Fibre length is affected by vessel transverse enlargement during differentiation, following derivation from fusiform initial cells. In previous studies, thicker and shorter fibres were found adjacent to vessel. The objective of this study is to investigate the chemical composition and microfibril angle (MFA) of fibres, depending on their distance from vessel. A wood block of 10 × 7 × 7 mm (R × T × L) was sliced into 5 μm and 20 μm thickness in a radial-longitudinal direction, as samples for chemical composition and MFA analysis, respectively. The distance of fibres from the vessel was used as the parameter to classify the fibres into two groups. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) combined with principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that higher lignin and lower carbohydrate content were attained from fibres adjacent to vessel, compared to the distant ones. In addition, visualising cellulose microfibril by iodine precipitation technique indicated that MFA of fibre increased with closer distance to vessel. The results obtained in this study would allow us to control the quality of processing for better pulp production.