Efeito do comprimento do corpo de prova nas propriedades mecânicas do carvão de Eucalyptus

Abstract

Mechanical properties of charcoal are indicators of quality and they influence in steelmaking process. In general, assessment tests (falling and tumbling) present variable results compromising their reliability. So, it is important to develop methodologies that produce comparable results. This study aimed to analyze the influence of sample length to determine stiffness and strength of wood and charcoal. Samples were produced from Eucalyptus urophylla clones, presenting cross section 25 mm x 25 mm and lengths of 50 mm, 75 mm, 100 mm and 125 mm. Ten samples of each length were selected for testing wood, and another ten for testing charcoal. The modulus of elasticity and compressive strength were determined in compression test parallel to the fibers. There was a significant effect of sample length on stiffness and strength of wood and charcoal. The best results were found for samples of 25 mm x 25 mm x 75 mm. Only the dimension 25 mm x 25 mm x 50 mm proved inadequate, presenting lower results than those reported in literature.