ABSTRACT
Wind may damage eucalyptus trees, especially 24 months after planting, which can reduce wood fiber quality and hinder pulp production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of these materials in mixtures with wood from seven-year-old trees to produce pulp. Bleached pulp was produced using 100, 95, 85, 75 and 0% wood from seven-year-old eucalyptus trees, related to cutting age. Wood from two-year-old trees, when trees are most susceptible to damage by wind, completed each treatment. A 5 cm thick disc was taken from breast height (1.3m) on each tree for anatomical and ultrastructural characterization. The seven-year-old wood had lower vessel frequency and fibers with a longer length, higher cell wall fraction, higher modulus of elasticity and hardness, and a lower microfibril angle. Pulp refining decreased the opacity and specific volume, increased air resistance and improved mechanical properties. The addition of two-year-old wood to produce pulp reduced the mechanical properties and opacity, and increased the air resistance of the paper. The proportion of two-year-old wood that can be used in pulp production varied with the clone, parameter, and refining level. However, the pulp produced with 5% wood from two-year-old trees and 95% wood from seven-year-old trees was similar to that with 100% seven-year-old wood. Therefore, 5% two-year-old wood can be used to produce pulp without quality losses.
Keywords:
Fiber; Nanoindentation; Opacity; Tear index; Tensile index
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