Summary
The effect of the partial removal of xylan on unbleached and bleached birch kraft pulps was investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy and the resulting data were analyzed by multivariate data analysis, i.e., principal component analysis (PCA) and maximum likelihood principal component analysis (MLPCA). Isolated model substances (xylan, cellulose and lignin) were used to calibrate these methods. Clear chemical changes in the relative proportions of the main constituents and functional groups on the pulp fiber surface were observed as a function of the amount of xylan removed. In addition, due to the partial removal of xylan, indications of some physical changes were observed.
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