QUALITY OF PELLETS PRODUCED WITH DIFFERENT MIXTURES OF ACICULATED DRY BRANCHES OF Araucaria angustifolia AND PARTICLES OF Pinus spp. FOR INDUSTRIAL, RESIDENTIAL AND COMERCIAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract

The aciculated dry branches of Araucaria angustifolia when arranged in the native fields constitute an animal health problem for the extensive livestock activity. Pinus wood residues, widely used in the forest-based industry in southern Brazil, are the main raw material for the production of pellets, both in Brazil and in the world. Thus, the analysis of the production of pellets with these two raw materials can be an alternative for the sustainable use of these residues. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize energetically the aciculated dry branches of Araucaria,comparing them with the properties of Pinus, and the pellets obtained from different mixtures of these two types of biomass. The qualitative parameters were framed in ISO 17225-2 for in order to determine the best energy application of pellets. The physical, chemical and energetic properties were determined in the Pinus particles and aciculated dry branches, in natura form. Pellets with the proportions of 0: 100%; 25: 75%; 50: 50%, 75: 25%, and 100: 0% Pinus: aciculated dry branches were produced in a flat matrix pilot pelletizer. The physical and energetic properties of the pellets were determined and compared with the parameters of ISO 17225-2. In the in natura form, the wood of Pinus and the aciculated dry branches presented different energetic potential, influencing in the quality of the pellets obtained with these raw materials. The pellets obtained from the biomass mixture had better quality than the homogeneous pellets. The homogeneous pellets of the pine or aciculated dry branches did not fully meet any of the use categories of ISO 17225-2, while the pellets produced from the mixtures presented potential for domestic use and in the comercial applications.