FT-IR and FT-Raman study of hydrothermally degradated cellulose

Deterioration of books and archive materials is due to degradation of cellulose that is caused by many factors such as acidic hydrolysis, oxidative agents, light, air pollution or presence of microorganisms. Recently, FT-IR and FT-Raman spectroscopy have been used for the characterization of cellulose and its degradation products. In this work, we present vibrational spectra obtained with different sampling techniques of pure cellulose from softwood and cotton that has been hydrothermally treated for maximum 21 days in extreme humid atmosphere (100% humidity, 100°C). We show that the obtained results strictly depend upon spectroscopic techniques used in measurements. We also present and discuss changes in vibrational spectra pointing out a role that is played by water molecules in this accelerated aging process of paper.