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Gunnar Almkvist, Ingmar Persson

Degradation of polyethylene glycol and hemicellulose in the Vasa

Keywords: catalytic oxidation, hemicelluloses, Hydrolysis, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF), polyethylene glycol, Vasa, wood degradation

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.

Holzforschung, Walter de Gruyter

Print ISSN: 0018-3830
Volume: 62, 01/2008
Pages: 64 - 70

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