Suberinic acids are a type of

carboxylic acid In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an Substituent, R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is often written as or , sometimes as with R referring to an organyl ...

s naturally encountered in the

bark Bark may refer to: Common meanings * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Arts and entertainment * ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...

of ''

Betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech- oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

'' tree species. Chemically, they predominantly have long (C18) chains with α- and ω- bifunctional saturated and unsaturated

fatty acid In chemistry, in particular in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated and unsaturated compounds#Organic chemistry, saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an ...

ends. Their name originates from

suberin Suberin is a lipophilic, complex polyester biopolymer found in plants. It is composed of long-chain fatty acids (called suberin acids) and glycerol. Suberin is interconnected with cutin and lignin and forms a protective barrier in the epidermal ...

, a major chemical biopolymer of

tree bark Bark is the outermost layer of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines, and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consist ...

Uses

The outer bark of birch (''Betula spp.'') tree is abundant in

betulin Betulin is an abundant, naturally occurring triterpene. It is commonly isolated from the bark of birch trees, hence its name, from '' betula''. It forms up to 30% of the dry weight of silver birch bark. It is also found in birch sap. '' Inono ...

. Upon extracting betulin, the remaining material consists of tissues containing

. Suberin is a biopolyester composed of α,ω - bifunctional fatty acids, namely the suberinic acids, which, along with lignocarbohydrate complexes, can serve as a potential adhesive in the form of a byproduct obtained during the extraction of suberinic acids for polyol synthesis. Recent studies have proved the potential application of this product, obtained by depolymerizing suberin, in the wood-based panels such as

particleboard Particle board, also known as particleboard or chipboard, is an engineered wood product, belonging to the wood-based panels, manufactured from wood chips and a synthetic, mostly formaldehyde-based resin or other suitable binder, which is pressed ...

utilizing different

solvent A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...

s. Recently, suberinic acids have found to have new applications in wood industry. The industrial mixture of suberinic acids, obtained from extracted birch outer bark, can be successfully used in industry for adhesion purposes, possibly in wood protection as well. Suberinic acid from birch bark and its suitability in wood protection, by A. Treu, M. Altgen, J. Rizikovs

References

{{Authority control Fatty acids Organic compound stubs Wood extracts