TRACE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF WOOD SPECIES USED FOR PAPER MANUFACTURE

Elemental concentrations of light and medium weight elements ranging from about 0.2% to less than 1ppm were determined by thick target PIXE in a variety of South African woods from different localities. Correspondence analysis, using the measured contents of K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Rb, resulted in groupings which were type-dependent and locality-dependent. The possibility of substituting one variety for another in the same group, for paper production, is discussed.