Multivariate chemometric analysis of the fluorescence spectra of eucalyptus wood

In this paper, multivariate chemometric analysis of fluorescence spectra of juvenile and mature eucalyptus wood samples is used in order to investigat e the existence of any correlation between fluorescence data and, the physi cal/chemical properties, as well as the pulping data of eucalyptus wood. Th e results obtained demonstrated that the wood of juvenile and adult trees c ould be discriminated by fluorescence spectroscopy. Data analysis also has shown the existence of good statistical correlation between fluorescence da ta on the one hand, and ash content, sodium hydroxide solubility, and ligni n monomeric composition of the wood samples on the other hand. Moreover, fl uorescence spectral data were found to be well correlated with the pulping yield and the Kappa number of the kraft pulps issued from the adult and juv enile eucalyptus wood. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.