We will use SANS to understand the interactions between water and the nanoscale structure of wood. We are particularly interested in the irreversible aggregation of cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) during drying of wood and the exchange of water in the differently sized pores of the wood cell wall. We will use contrast variation with D2O/H2O to observe the water trapped between CMFs by drying and time-resolved SANS measurements to monitor how water is exchanged inside and between aggregates of CMFs after solvent exchange. The use of SANS is necessary, because it is sensitive to D2O/H2O and it provides information on the location of water in the hierarchical wood structure. The experiment will give direct evidence for the speculated location of water inside and between CMF aggregates in wood, and the results will have a significant impact on the many applications of wood.

2020