Anatomical characterization of fiber of eight forest species from Cerrado of Mato Grosso do Sul for paper production

Abstract

Wood is a renewable natural resource that has advantages in comparison to other materials. The knowledge of wood anatomical structure is essential to its correct use. The fibers’ parameters usually studied are length, width, wall thickness and lumen diameter. The relationship between the dimensions are more important than the individual values of dimensions, resulting in indexes that help in the classification of wood quality for pulp and paper. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize the anatomy of wood fibers of trees from Mato Grosso do Sul and to evaluate the application of this material in the pulp and paper production. Eight forest species randomly selected from from the region of Cerrado. The process of maceration was perform and the fibers’ dimensions were measure. The felting index, the cell wall fraction, the flexibility coefficient and the Runkel ratio were determined. Only Cedrela fissilis wood would be suitable for the pulp and paper production. However, further studies of cedar wood are needed, especially its chemical properties.