A wide range of materials for the development of new products can be obtained from natural resources. Good examples of these materials are lignocellulosic wastes, which are a good alternative for the production of particleboards. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using cotton wastes in association to eucalyptus particles in the production of particleboards. Cotton waste proportions used were 0, 10, 20 and 30%. Urea formaldehyde (UF) adhesive was applied at 12%, based on dry the weight of particles. Physical and mechanical tests were performed in order to evaluate panels. Water Absorption (2 and 24 h) and Internal Bond (IB) showed not significant effect with increased percentage of cotton waste. Thickness Swelling (2 and 24 h) of particleboards increased with increased percentage of waste material. The Modulus of Elasticity for cotton waste particleboards ranged from 726.47 ± 99.98 to 205.12 ± 66.24 MPa, while the Modulus of Rupture ranged from 8.63 ± 1.39 to 3.87 ± 0.75 MPa. According to results, cotton wastes could be added to particleboards up to the percentage of 9%, being indicated for the manufacture of some types of furniture such as doors and sides.

This study aimed to assess the effect of mechanical pretreatment on bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp fibers and investigate the influence of reaction time and temperature on the properties and yield of nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC). Two types of pulps were hydrolyzed, pulp 1 (control, whole fibers) and pulp 2 (mechanically pretreated, disintegrated fibers). NCC and MCC particles were obtained by sulfuric acid hydrolysis (60% w/w) of eucalyptus pulps under different conditions of time (30–120 min) and temperature (45–55 °C). Physical treatment of kraft pulp facilitated acid hydrolysis, resulting in higher NCC yields compared with no pretreatment. The morphologic properties and crystallinity index (CI) of NCC and MCC were little affected by pulp pretreatment. NCC particles obtained from pulps 1 and 2 were needle-shaped, with mean diameters of 6 and 4 nm, mean lengths of 154 and 130 nm, and CI of 74.6 and 76.8%, respectively. MCC particles obtained from pulps 1 and 2 were rod-shaped, with mean diameters of 2.4 and 1.4 µm, mean lengths of 37 and 22 µm, and CI of 73.1 and 74.5%, respectively. Pulps 1 and 2 and their respective NCC and MCC derivatives had a cellulose I crystalline structure.

Efeito de bioestimulante em sementes de cedro-rosa / Effect of biostimulant in cedro-rosa seeds

Densidade básica da madeira de clones de eucalipto em diferentes espaçamentos / Basic density of wood of eucalyptus clones in different spacing

Thermal treatments have the effect of reducing the hygroscopicity and improving the resistance to microbiological attack of wood by the degradation of its chemical constituents. During the treatments, the mass of the wood is reduced, a factor that can affect the quality of the materials according to their use. The objective was to verify the effect of the thermal treatment variables on the thermogravimetric properties and the chemical composition of Eucalyptus grandis. The treatments were carried out in a vacuum oven with three atmosphere conditions - vacuum; N₂; vacuum+N₂ at temperatures of 140, 180 and 220 °C for 6 hours. It was observed that the mass loss during treatments differed only according to the temperatures used. The extractive content, total lignin and holocellulose presented significant changes only at 220°C in all three atmospheres. In the thermogravimetric analysis, the greatest value of residual mass was found in the treatment that used nitrogen and 220 °C, thus demonstrating that this treatment was more invasive, leading to the conclusion that the vacuum application can help to reduce the degradation of the constituents of the eucalypt wood. Wood, which can lead to the production of thermally treated wood without great losses in the mechanical properties.

Inclined trees produce reaction wood, whose properties are distinct from normal wood. This situation can affect the production of charcoal. This study was conducted to evaluate the quality of charcoal derived from reaction wood in trees of a commercial plantation inclined due to the action of wind. We used six year old wood from a Eucalyptus grandis xEucalyptus urophylla hybrid from plantations located in Minas Gerais. The physical and chemical properties of the wood were determined as well as the gravimetric yield and charcoal properties. According to the results, there were significant differences between the properties of the reaction and normal wood, with the reaction wood having lower levels of lignin and extractives, greater holocellulose content and low specific gravity. However, these characteristics of reaction wood did not significantly affect the properties of its charcoal.