Anatomical characterization of black wattle wood for the pulp and paper production

ABSTRACT: The growing worldwide demand in the pulp market has fostered research that evaluates alternative fiber sources with specific characteristics that attend the needs of the consumer market, with a view to add value to the final product and reduce production costs. Acacia mearnsii De Wild wood is a by-product of the extraction of tannin from the trunk bark, used for firewood, charcoal and pellets. However, its wood is still poorly studied, especially its anatomical characteristics, which can provide important information about its industrial potential. This study evaluated the anatomical characteristics of Acacia mearnsii wood for the production of pulp and paper. Ten trees at approximately seven years old were cut down, five from the seed production area (SPA) and five from the clonal population area (CPA). From each tree, one trunk disc was sectioned at the diameter at breast height (DBH), resulting in 10 (ten) wood samples. From each disc, a sapwood specimen was made oriented in the tangential longitudinal, radial longitudinal and transversal planes, for later obtaining the anatomical cuts and the macerates. The anatomical description of the wood followed the recommendations of the International Association of Wood Anatomists-IAWA. From the dimensions of the fibers, their quality evaluation ratios for the production of pulp and paper were calculated. Results obtained from the anatomical characterization allowed to conclude that the Acacia mearnsii woods from SPA and CPA are indicated as a source of raw material for the pulp and paper production.摘要：全球纸浆市场需求持续增长，推动了相关研究，旨在评估具备特定特性、契合消费市场需求的替代纤维原料，以期提升最终产品附加值并降低生产成本。黑荆（Acacia mearnsii De Wild）木材是从树干树皮中提取单宁后的副产物，以往多用作薪柴、木炭及颗粒燃料原料，但针对其木材的研究仍较为匮乏，尤其是其解剖特性——这类特性可为其工业应用潜力提供重要参考依据。本研究针对黑荆木材用于纸浆与纸张生产的解剖特性展开评估。试验共采伐10棵树龄约7年的林木，其中5棵来自种子生产区（seed production area，SPA），另外5棵来自无性系种群区（clonal population area，CPA）。从每棵林木的胸高直径（diameter at breast height，DBH）处截取一段树干圆盘，共得到10份木材样品。从每份圆盘上切取边材试样，分别沿切向纵面、径向纵面与横面进行定向处理，用于后续制备解剖切片与离析标本。木材解剖描述遵循国际木材解剖学家协会（International Association of Wood Anatomists，IAWA）的相关规范。基于纤维尺寸参数，计算得到其用于纸浆与纸张生产的质量评价指标。解剖表征所得结果表明，源自种子生产区与无性系种群区的黑荆木材，均可作为纸浆与纸张生产的合格原料来源。