ESTUDOS DE PROCESSOS DE EXTRAÇÃO E CARACTERIZAÇÃO DE FIBRAS DO FRUTO DO AÇAÍ (Euterpe oleracea MART.) DA AMAZÔNIA PARA PRODUÇÃO DE ECOPAINEL DE PARTÍCULAS DE MÉDIA DENSIDADE

Abstract

The fibrous tissue of the açaí fruit (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) is discarded in large quantities in the Metropolitan Region of Belém (PA), Brazil, after juice production. This agro-industrial residue is rarely utilized sustainably. This thesis aimed to study extraction and treatment processes of açaí fruit fibers through biological maceration, both spontaneous and induced, and chemical mercerization with NaOH, with and without autoclave, for the development of new alternative composite materials for the civil construction industry. Anatomical, chemical, physical, and mechanical characterizations of the fibers were performed, followed by the fabrication of homogeneous particle ecopanels bonded with castor oil-based bicomponent polyurethane resin. The physical-mechanical and microstructural characterization of the ecopanels demonstrated significant improvements in treated fiber properties, such as tensile strength, water absorption, and thickness swelling, evidencing the potential use of the residue as raw material for the production of sustainable ecopanels with possible applications in the construction and furniture industries.