Beneficiation opportunities for bark from South African Grown Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus patula

Abstract

Bark, a major waste residue in the forestry, timber, pulp and paper industry has been shown to be a potential source of valuable chemicals. The chemical composition of bark extracted from South African plantation grown E. grandis and P. patula trees was studied with the objective of identifying components that could potentially be beneficiated into valuable chemical compounds. The lipophilic extracts were rich in hydrocarbons, followed by long chain aliphatic alcohols, fatty acids, sterols and terpenic compounds. Phenolic compounds were found in high quantities in softwood bark, with guaiacol and o-acetyl-p-cresol being the main components.