INFLUENCE OF TIME OF EXPOSURE TO SOIL ON THE PROPERTIES OF WOOD AND CHARCOAL FROM Myracrodruon urundeuva FR. ALL

Forest biomass has great potential for energy generation, so it is important to characterize it and determine which wood properties are responsible for its energy quality and what factors influence it. The storage time of the wood can make it susceptible to changes that can affect its performance, compromising its quality. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the properties of wood and charcoal from the species Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr. All. as a function of exposure time to the soil, aiming at viability for energy production. Test specimens were prepared for installation of the experiment in the field for 20 months, with collections being made every five months for analysis of wood and charcoal properties. In wood properties, a reduction in basic density (0.91 to 0.72 g cm–3) and holocellulose was observed, consequently leading to an increase in mass loss and solubility in NaOH, resulting in a decrease in energy density and calorific value of the wood. However, an increase in lignin content was obtained, resulting in an increase in fixed carbon content and calorific value of the charcoal. It is concluded that the exposure time to the soil negatively affected the wood properties, but the energy properties of the charcoal showed satisfactory results for energy production.