Secagem ao ar livre da madeira para produção de carvão vegetal

Abstract

The storage of logs in outdoors areas is the most commonly used wood drying method for charcoal production; however, studies on outdoor drying of logs are still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of storage time on the energetic properties of wood and charcoal. Logs of 1.2 meters in length extracted from trunks of 10 different clones at 1.3 m above ground level were used in this study. Carbonization in muffle furnace occurred after one, two and three months of storage at a heating rate of 1.67 °C, maximum temperature of 450 °C, and residence time of 30 minutes. Wood calorific value, gravimetric yields on dry and wet bases, chemical analysis, and charcoal calorific value were evaluated. The net calorific value of wood increased with storage time; the optimum storage time ranged between two and three months for different materials. Among the carbonization parameters, only the gravimetric yield on wet basis changed with storage time. Drying was important to reduce wood moisture, favoring its use for energy production.