Avaliação da eficiência do processo de biocarvãoe das potencialidades de recuperação de bio-óleo em uma carvoaria de Rondônia-Brasil

Abstract

In Brazil, most of the biochar produced is used in the steel industry, to reduce iron ore and produce pig iron. Other uses include domestic and commercial consumption in cooking food. Some regions maintain planted forests to provide raw materials for this purpose, but in small-scale production this does not occur. These productions generally use artisanal techniques. The objectives of this thesis included drawing up a diagnosis of this ancient form of human activity, to record the main parameters of production in a district of Rondônia-Brazil, where a resulting bio-oil was identified as a co-product – potential renewable energy source, but which is not recovered locally. A production in the district of Triunfo, RO-Brazil was selected to monitor the process. Monitoring involved data collection, with no intention of interfering in the existing process, to support a diagnosis and suggest proposals for improvements. The work was carried out on site (in the exact location where the materials are produced), during the diagnosis stage. Biomass and bio-oil samples were collected; the bio-oil was fractionated by vacuum distillation. Then, subjected to chemical and physical-chemical analyzes in the laboratory (pH, viscosity, density), during the characterization stage. The results showed low yields of both biochar (19.5% by mass) and total bio-oil (1.3 L/m3 of solid wood). The temperatures used were suitable for the production of biochar (average of 220 °C) and well distributed inside the oven (coefficient of variation ~11%). However, they are not suitable for producing bio-oil. The techniques for identifying both functional groups (FT-IR) and chemical composition (GC-MS/MS) showed mainly ketones, esters, acids, traces of nitrogen and phenols/aromatics. These products generate environmental impacts due to their toxicity, and therefore should not be disposed directly on the ground. Suitable applications may include the chemical industry, composite materials and the pharmaceutical industry. The diagnosis of the process indicates the need for investments in structuring and regularizing the activity, promoting the well-being of communities, on terms of environmental and economics.