Structural Changes on Charring Woods of Dichrostachys and Salix from Southern Africa: The Effect of Moisture Content

Abstract

Air-dried and saturated cubes of fully developed wood of Dichrostachys cinerea (Leguminosae) and Salix subserrata (Salicaceae) were charred for 60 minutes at 400°C. An initial increase in moisture content caused few structural alterations in Salix but in Dichrostachys it resulted in considerable ray distension and massive deformation of non-gelatinous fibres. An attempt is made to correlate these observations with the physical and chemical changes known to occur during wood pyrolysis.