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Branches remain in the forest environment as logging activity residue. Considering the large size of many Amazonian trees, their branches have considerable dimensions and can contribute to a sustainable wood alternative for various applications. Due to the formation of reaction wood in the branches, relevant macro and ultrastructural changes can occur in its characteristics in relation to the trunk wood. However, the woods of the branches are not technologically well known. Therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the wood quality of branches of Hymenaea courbaril L., comparing it with wood of trunks. The extractives and lignin contents, basic density, shrinkage, fiber biometry, microfibril angle and mechanical resistance to compression parallel to the fibers were analyzed. The branch wood had smaller fiber dimensions and a higher microfibril angle than the trunk wood. The basic density was similar between these materials. The linear and volumetric shrinkages were smaller in the branch wood than in the trunk, while the axial shrinkage was higher in the branch. The parallel compressive strength was also lower in the branch wood than in the trunk. The branch wood has properties suitable for products with higher added value such as furniture, decorative objects, floors and utensils in general.

X-ray diffraction allows indirect measurement of the microfibril angle (MFA) in green and dry wood, revealing that there are statistical differences between the MFAs of these woods. Wood drying is essential for most wood uses; however, the removal of water from wood can lead to defects. Although it is consolidated that water removal to below the fibers saturation point causes a decrease in the distance between cellulose microfibrils, little is known about how the microfibril angle (MFA) behaves in dry wood in terms of the cell wall ultrastructure. The hypothesis investigated in this study is that with the reduced distance between cellulose microfibrils after drying, there is a simultaneous decrease in MFA. Therefore, the objective of the work was to estimate the microfibril angle of dry and green wood using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and then to compare the MFA of the wood in both conditions mentioned. The basal discs from stems of Eucalyptus grandis with age of 22 years were used to produce the samples used in the measurement of MFA by polarized light microscopy and of the T value by XRD. The mean MFA measured by polarized light microscopy was 7.0°. MFA could be estimated by T value obtained from XRD using the cubic model. The mean MFA estimated by this model was 9.0° for green wood and 7.5° for dry wood, concluding that the MFA in dry wood is slightly lower than in green wood.

In this work, the relationship between vessels parameters and the wood cleavage strength were studied to clarify the process of formation of this type of check, very common in Eucalyptus wood. The objective was to identify the relationship between the wood cleavage strength, the average area of the vessel, and the percentage area of vessels on the wood transverse surface. For this, two Eucalyptus grandis trees at 22 years old were felled and specimens for the cleavage test were produced to determine the wood cleavage strength. From these specimens, samples were taken to determine the average area of the vessel and the percentage area of vessels, aiming at adjusting mathematical models that explain the variation in the cleavage strength. The results showed that the higher the average area of the vessel and the percentage of area occupied by vessels in the wood, the lower its cleavage strength. The multiple linear regression model can estimate the cleavage strength as a function of the average area of the vessel, and the percentage area of the vessels.

Activated carbons (AC) are high porosity and adsorptive carbonaceous materials. These adsorbents can be produced using different organic materials. Precursor material properties may impact their quality. This study aimed to produce activated carbon from Tectona grandis wood wastes, besides determining efficiency in adsorption of different pollutants. Chemical activation, with ZnCl2 (AC_ZnCl2) and CuSO4 (AC_CuSO4), and physical activation, with CO2 (AC_CO2) were performed. Activated carbons were characterized by FTIR, surface functional groups (Boehm) and surface area analysis. Moreover, ACs were tested regarding adsorption capacity of methylene blue (MB), phenol and Cr+6 ions in aqueous medium. Higher total pore volume (0.62 cm³ g-¹), micropore volume (0.31 cm³ g-¹) and surface area (524.50 m² g-¹) were obtained in AC_ZnCl2, which was also the most effective in MB and phenol adsorption. AC_CuSO4 obtained high adsorption capacity for phenol and presented functional groups different from the other AC. AC_CO2 was the second with better adsorption performance for all pollutants. Keywords: Activation process. Adsorbent. Forest wastes. Raw material.

Tree stems deviating from the vertical position react by the formation of tension wood (TW) or compression wood (CW), which are called in general as reaction wood (RW), in which the cells are modified chemically and anatomically. The focus of the present work is the mechanical behavior of TW in five 37-year-old Eucalyptus species, which were grown on a planting area with an average slope of 28% leading to decentralized pith in the trees, which is an unequivocal indication of the presence of RW. TW and opposite wood (OW) samples were isolated and subjected to a compression-parallel-to-grain test. It was observed that TW is less resistant and less stiff than the OW.

Currently, there is a little and sparse information about how the growing conditions influence the spatial variation of wood along the stem. Thus, the aim of this study was to compile the knowledge from literature in a manuscript for better understanding to what extent the growing conditions influence the spatial variation of wood properties in Eucalyptus plantations. The wood characteristics may present variations in their properties and can be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. However, how genetic and environmental factor acts on wood variation along the trunk is still unclear. Another point is that even with new genetic breeding programs, the mechanical properties of wood have not been considered in these programs, since the selection of new material is always based on the growing rate, cellulose and lignin content and wood density.

This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of samples of juvenile and mature Eucalyptus cloeziana wood when subjected to the drying process, and the influence of the anatomy on that behavior. In order to do this, saturated specimens from this woods measuring 10 × 5 × 1 cm were subjected to drastic drying at 100 °C, where the drying rates and the end check scores in different steps of the process were obtained. The fibers and vessels morphology, initial moisture and basic density were analyzed to help understanding the data obtained in the drying test. The juvenile wood presented 26% higher drying rate and 21% smaller drying time, also 53% higher end check score. Smaller fibers length and fibers wall thickness, higher vessels frequency and smaller vessels diameter were associated with higher total drying rate and water adsorption, as well as with the higher end check score.

Esse trabalho teve como objetivo delimitar a idade de transicao entre o lenho juvenil e o adulto de Eucalyptus pilularis, Eucalyptus saligna, Eucalyptus cloeziana e Corymbia maculata com 37 anos de idade, a partir da analise das variacoes no sentido medula-casca do comprimento das fibras e do ângulo microfibrilar. Duas arvores de cada especie foram selecionadas, abatidas e tiveram discos cortados na base do tronco. Amostras foram retiradas do disco no sentido medula-casca para a determinacao do ângulo das microfibrilas e do comprimento das fibras. O E. saligna apresentou o maior comprimento medio das fibras e a menor media do ângulo microfibrilar. As idades de transicao estimadas pela analise da variacao do comprimento das fibras foram menores do que aquelas estimadas pela analise da variacao do ângulo microfibrilar. A analise de regressao linear response plateau permitiu estimar o ponto em que ocorre a estabilizacao do comprimento das fibras e do ângulo microfibrilar para as especies avaliadas.

The heterogeneity of characteristics observed in the pith-bark direction within a log causes sawn pieces of wood have different behaviors during water removal. Understanding these differences is important for the industry regarding the possibility of classification of the lumber into juvenile wood and mature wood, facilitating the drying in separate loads. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the behavior of juvenile and mature wood samples of Eucalyptus saligna when subjected to drastic drying. In order to do this, test specimens were submitted to drastic drying at 100°C to obtain the drying times, drying rates and dimensions of end checks. These data were applied in equations to obtain the parameters initial temperature, final temperature and drying potential, used in the elaboration of drying schedules. In juvenile wood we observed that the basic density was lower and the initial moisture content was higher. Mature wood showed a lower drying rate. Drying schedules were developed separately for juvenile and mature wood, the drying schedule for the latter considered milder than the drying schedule developed for juvenile wood.