POTENTIAL OF WASTE GENERATED FROM TREES MANAGEMENT PERFORMED IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF NATAL-RN
biomass, sustainability, bioenergy, energy, tannins, briquettes
Biomass is a renewable energy source with the greatest potential to contribute to the energy needs of modern society. The most important sources of biomass come from wood, wood residues, agricultural plantations, grasses and their by-products. Currently, much research has focused on sustainable and ecologically correct energy, in order to find ways to replace conventional fossil fuels with renewable energy sources. The solid residues produced by tree management in the city of Natal-RN are currently crushed and organized in windrows, in order to obtain organic compost for use as fertilizer. The present study sought to find new possibilities for the use of biomass originating from the management, carrying out the evaluation of its use as a source of renewable energy, carrying out the characterization of the material and production of briquettes. In addition to studies on its use as an energy source, the quantification of the tannin content was carried out - a compound that has a strong economic impact on the country - widely used for tanning animal skin, effluent treatment, wood adhesive, among others. After extracting and quantifying the tannins, it was observed that, because it is waste from urban pruning, and because it is not possible to quantify the percentage of leaves, thin branches and bark of each species, the levels of concentrated tannins found in the species were below the desirable for commercial exploitation. The results for the use of briquettes as an alternative source of energy to replace the current energy matrix, proved to be satisfactory and with high potential for the generation of bioenergy and a viable alternative for use in the form of firewood or charcoal. Biomass of urban origin is a resource offered by the environment, as a way of maintaining its own ecosystem; its great advantage is related to the low financial cost, and it can be used as a source of energy generation, changing the condition of waste to a renewable energy source.