µFEM modelling of wood cell deformation under pulping-type dynamic loads

Compressive and shear loads applied to wet woodchips at high values of speed and temperature during thermo-mechanical (TM) pulping are aimed at separating wood fibres from the raw material in order to increase both the flexibility and the bonding ability of the fibres. This work proposes a computational approach for the simulation of wood cell deformation finalized to a deeper understanding of the most consuming mechanism during TM pulping, that is, the fibre cell wall opening. A flexible µFEM tool for Abaqus code has been developed which uses an automated script for parametric model generation. The use of the proposed numerical tool in the presence of different pulping-type loading conditions can provide suggestions for the energy saving during thermo-mechanical pulping processes.