Thermal Degradation of Terpenes:  Camphene, Δ³-Carene, Limonene, and α-Terpinene

Abstract

Emissions from wood dryers have been of some concern for a number of years, and recent policy changes by the Environmental Protection Agency have placed emphasis upon the gaseous emissions that lead to the formation of particulate matter as small as 2.5 μm diameter. In this qualitative study, camphene, Δ 3 -carene, limonene, and α-terpinene were thermally degraded in the presence of air to determine the number and kind of oxidative degradation products that might be expected under drying conditions used in processing wood products. Various chromatographic methods were used to isolate the products for proof of structure by NMR and/or GC−MS. The degradation products resulted from dehydrogenations, epoxidations, double bond cleavages, allylic oxidations, and rearrangements. A number of compounds not previously associated with the thermal degradation of these terpenes were identified.