Rapid prediction of native wood pulp properties by Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy

The feasibility of using Fourier transform Raman spectroscopy for rapid assessment of various pulp properties was examined using two Eucalyptus species, including samples of various ages and colours, which are of importance as a plantation source. Pulp properties, namely pulp yield, sheet density, burst factor, breaking length, tear factor, unbleached brightness and Kappa number, were measured. The application of 2nd derivatives transformation of Raman spectroscopic data revealed highly significant correlations between measured and Raman-predicted values for all traits with correlation coefficient (r)>0.998 in the calibration (for known samples) and r>0.882 in the prediction (for unknown samples), respectively. Consequently, this rapid method has suggested its validity for analyzing Eucalyptus native wood meal samples, regardless of their age and colour, to assess pulp properties.