Characterization of the chemical properties of three plant species of the Cerrado biome

Abstract

The focus of this article was to carry out studies and analyses to establish the chemical constitution of the wood of three species found in the Cerrado Biome, namely: Tachigali vulgaris, Myracrodruon urundeuva and Amburana cearensis. Initially, samples were collected based on the probability and, mainly, on the commercial preference of the woods. Discs were removed along the stem (0%, 50%, and 100% of the height) of the randomly selected trees considering the condition of good stem and straight grain. Thus, specimens were removed from the samples, converted into sawdust to determine the chemical properties of the woods. The sawdust passed through the 0.425 mm and 0.250 mm sieves, respectively, the fraction used to determine the percentage of total extractives, lignin and holocellulose was retained in the 0.250 mm sieve and passed through the 0.425 mm sieve. The analysis of the results indicated that the chemical composition of the woods of the species studied was compatible with the normal pattern for broadleaves. The resulting information also indicated that Amburana cearensis has a higher basic specific mass, because the holocellulose content is inversely proportional to that of lignin.  Amburana cearensis and Myracrodruon urundeuva showed higher extractive content, providing greater natural durability. Lignin in the tissues provides resistance to xylophagous attack, as a result, the species Amburana cearensis is possibly the most vulnerable to attacks. However, in the species studied, the chemical constitution of the wood can be significantly correlated with the technological behavior.