What will happen if we heat wood to a very high temperature by radiation in a vacuum?

[hivikash]

If we heat wood like substance, it starts to burn and not melt. But, what will happen if we heat wood to a very high temperature by radiation in a vacuum? Would it melt or something else?

[Strange]

It would initially give off its liquid components (water, resist, etc). Then other volatile components. Eventually (depending on the temperature) the other components would start to melt and/or break down. I don't know enough about the chemistry of the compounds in wood to say more than that.

[EdEarl]

Very hot would ionize the atoms of the wood as long as the pressure was low enough.

Edited February 6, 2017 by EdEarl

[Sensei]

If we heat wood like substance, it starts to burn and not melt.

It will start burning only when there is ready access to air or pure Oxygen.

 

If there is no easy access to air/Oxygen, it'll be dry distillation process.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dry_distillation

"Dry distillation is the heating of solid materials to produce gaseous products (which may condense into liquids or solids)."

"The method has been used to obtain liquid fuels from coal and wood. "

 

"When wood is heated above 270°C it begins to carbonize. If air is absent the final product, since there is no oxygen present to react with the wood, is charcoal. If air, which contains oxygen, is present, the wood will catch fire and burn when it reaches a temperature of about 400500°C and the fuel product is wood ash. If wood is heated away from air, first the moisture is driven off and until this is complete, the wood temperature remains at about 100110°C. When the wood is dry its temperature rises and at about 270°C it begins to spontaneously decompose and, at the same time, heat is evolved. This is the well known exothermic reaction which takes place in charcoal burning. At this stage evolution of the by-products of wood carbonization starts. These substances are given off gradually as the temperature rises and at about 450°C the evolution is complete. The solid residue, charcoal, is mainly carbon (about 70%) and small amounts of tarry substances which can be driven off or decomposed completely only by raising the temperature to above about 600°C."

 

But, what will happen if we heat wood to a very high temperature by radiation in a vacuum? Would it melt or something else?

Wood contains 40-50% Cellulose

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulose

 

"Breakdown (cellulolysis)

Cellulolysis is the process of breaking down cellulose into smaller polysaccharides called cellodextrins or completely into glucose units; this is a hydrolysis reaction. Because cellulose molecules bind strongly to each other, cellulolysis is relatively difficult compared to the breakdown of other polysaccharides."

 

"Breakdown (thermolysis)

At temperatures above 350 °C, cellulose undergoes thermolysis (also called pyrolysis), decomposing into solid char, vapors, aerosols, and gases such as carbon dioxide."

 

Thermal decomposition

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_decomposition

 

Pyrolysis

"Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at elevated temperatures in the absence of oxygen "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrolysis

Edited February 6, 2017 by Sensei

[Bender]

When the temperature reaches more than 4000 K, the graphite will sublimate. Carbon is the element with the highest melting point. The sublimation point in vacuum is obviously a bit lower.

Edited February 16, 2017 by Bender