Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2008
Degradation of polyethylene glycol and hemicellulose in the Vasa
Almkvist, Gunnar; Persson, IngmarAbstract
Mass spectrometric analysis of aqueous wood extracts from the Swedish warship Vasa reveals a serious chemical condition in the depth of the wood. The surface is less affected. Polyethylene glycol, used as conservation agent, is affected and partly degraded, and low-molecular fragments from hemicellulose are found at sites with high iron content and low pH. These findings imply a catalytic oxidative process and acidic hydrolysis in the wood, which contributes to a new picture of the challenge of long-term preservation of the Vasa.Keywords
catalytic oxidation; hemicelluloses; hydrolysis; matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF); polyethylene glycol; Vasa; wood degradationPublished in
Holzforschung2008, volume: 62, number: 1, pages: 64-70
Publisher: WALTER DE GRUYTER & CO
Authors' information
Almkvist, Gunnar
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Chemistry
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Chemistry
UKÄ Subject classification
Forest Science
Publication Identifiers
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/HF.2008.009
URI (permanent link to this page)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/15612