Influence of basic density and chemical composition of wood on the carbonization process

Charcoal production from wood of fast-growing species, Eucalyptus and native species, is one of the most important activities in the Brazilian forestry sector, and mainly supplies the steel sector. The objective of this work was to carry out a literature review on studies that relate the basic density and chemical composition of wood with the variables of the carbonization process and the characteristics of charcoal. The principle of exploratory study was used through a literature review. The main studies used in this research showed that Eucalyptus clones used in the charcoal industry showed a basic density between 330 and 600 kg/m(3), fixed carbon content between 71.9 and 84.4% and a higher calorific value between 6996 cal/g and 8326 cal/g. Regarding the native species studied, these presented basic density varying between 364 and 1052 kg/m(3), greater than the variation observed for Eucalyptus; fixed carbon content varying between 60.6 and 81.0%; and higher calorific value between 6248 cal/g and 7730 cal/g. The conclusion indicates necessity for more investment in wood quality analyzes to evaluate the carbonization process and charcoal quality, especially with wood from native species; among the characteristics of wood, basic density was the most used in the charcoal industry, while the holocellulose content and S/G ratio of lignin were rarely presented in research.