Determination of Wood Chemical and Anatomical Properties by Difuse Reflectance of Near Infrared

Abstract

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and partial least square (PLS) were used to determine chemical and anatomical wood properties. Solid wood samples from seven eucalyptus and one pine species were  characterized for lignin content, total extractives, fiber length and diameter, cell wall thickness and heat  content. NIR spectra were obtained from wood flour  samples and used to generate calibrations for the  measured chemical and anatomical properties.  Relationships were good for lignin content and cell wall   thickness with coefficients of determination greater than  .9 and 0.8, respectively. The calibrations developed for lignin content had the highest coefficients of determination and show that it is possible to develop  eneral calibration for this important wood property across the tested eucalyptus species. Other  statistical tools should be studied for improvements in  the predictions of the measured properties.