Investigação do potencial do talo e da palha da carnaúba para utilização como biocombustível

Abstract

The carnauba (Copernicia prunifera) is a common plant species in Northeast Brazil and has a great commercial importance due to exploration/exportation of the wax extracted from its leaves. Therefore, aiming the use of the residues derived from carnauba's production chain, this work shows the characterization of the stalk and straw "in natura", and after densification (briquettes production), with the aim to investigate the possible application as biofuels. The analyses involved the determination of moisture, ash, volatile matter, fixed carbon, gross calorific value, impact resistance, diametrical compression, and thermogravimetry. Elemental analysis (CHNS/O) was also performed. In relation to the volatile matter the carnauba's straw and stalk "in natura" obtained 70.89% and 81.12% while carnauba briquettes of straw and stalk showed 70.02% and 80.41%, respectively. For the fixed carbon - a calculated value - the results were 19.98% for the straw and 16.08% for the stalk. After briquettes production were obtained 20.9% and 16.8% for the straw and the stalk, respectively. In relation to the gross calorific value, the carnauba's straw and stalk "in natura" obtained 17.51 MJ/kg and 17.29 MJ/kg. For the energetic density, briquettes' production provided an increase of 328.9% (2.98 to 12.78 kJ/cm³) for the straw and 292% (2.89 to 11.33 kJ/cm³) for the stalk. The mechanical resistance test for the carnauba's straw briquette showed 0.1 MPa and the carnauba's stalk briquette showed 0.3 MPa. According to the results, it can be inferred that the carnauba's straw and stalk have the potential for use as biofuels.