thermodynamic properties of wood fiber surface after treat-The adsorption of n-heptane, n-octane, n-nonane, and n-decane ment and for estimating the London dispersive component on untreated wood fiber and wood fiber treated with maleated of the surface free energy of wood fibers (before and after polypropylene was studied by inverse gas chromatography (IGC) treatment). The word inverse is used to indicate that the at infinite dilution or zero surface coverage. The specific retention component of interest is the stationary phase. The molecular volume increased with increasing probe chain length, decreased probe indicates that the probe, instead of the polymer, is the with increasing column temperature, and increased with increasvolatile substance. IGC is based on the adsorption of probe ing maleated polypropylene concentration. The enthalpy of advapors on the fiber packed into the column of a gas chromasorption increased with increasing chain length of the probe vatography. Probe of known properties is injected at infinite pors. The enthalpy of adsorption remained constant after the treatment of wood fiber. The London dispersive component of the dilution or finite dilution into a high temperature port where surface free energy decreased with the column temperature and it is rapidly vaporized and swept along by a flowing carrier showed no dependency with either the type of wood fiber or the gas (often nitrogen). The vapor then passes through a colmaleated polypropylene concentration. แญง 1997 Academic Press umn containing a stationary solid phase. The retention time, Key Words: inverse gas chromatography; wood fiber; cellulose; i.e., a measure of the potential for interaction between the enthalpy of adsorption; heat of adsorption; surface free energy; solid phase and the mobile phase, is finally determined from maleated polypropylene; coupling agent. the chromatogram obtained. IGC is restricted to measurements of adsorption where bulk sorption is negligible, and it is used to measure adsorption down to low vapor concen-