LIQUEFACTION OF WOOD WITHOUT A CATALYST .4. EFFECT OF ADDITIVES, SUCHAS ACID, SALT, AND NEUTRAL ORGANIC-SOLVENT

Wood can be liquefied in the presence of phenols by heating it at abou t 250-degrees-C. Because the liquefied products were found to be acidi c solutions, the formation of acid during the liquefaction and the eff ects of acids on liquefaction have been investigated. Acids which are formed during liquefaction were found to be weak acids like acetic aci d. The effect of the addition of neutral organic solvents on liquefact ion also has been investigated. No accelerating effect by the addition of acetic acid could be seen at a 7/3 wood/phenol ratio, whereas the acid addition effect appeared when large amounts of formic acid, which has a one order greater acidity than acetic acid, were used. Alkali o r alkaline salt, which can neutralize the formed acid retards the reac tion, although no effect of a neutral salt addition exists. Neutral or ganic solvents miscible with the liquefied wood, retard the conversion , whereas no obvious effect can be observed by the addition of immisci ble solvents, for example, hexane.