INVERSE GAS-CHROMATOGRAPHY CHARACTERIZATION OF BIRCH WOOD MEAL

Inverse gas chromatography (IGC) was applied to characterize the surface of birch wood meal. The isosteric heat of adsorption, q(st), the dispersive component of the surface energy, gamma(s)D, and the acid/base character of birch wood meal surface were estimated by using the retention time of different nonpolar and polar probes at infinite dilution. The specific interaction parameter I(sp), the specific enthalpy of adsorption DELTAH(A)sp, and the enthalpy of acid-base interaction DELTAH(A)ab of polar probes on wood metal surface were determined. DELTAH(A)sp and DELTAH(A)ab were correlated with the donor (DN) and modified acceptor (AN) numbers of the probes to quantify the acidic K(A) and the basic K(B) parameters of the substrate surface. The values of K(A) and K(B) suggest that the extractives free wood meal surface is amphoteric, with predominantly acceptor electron sites.