Pellets (wood waste): description, production, advantages

Wood pellets, year after year, are becoming more widespread throughout the world. Their use is promoted by big usability and their profitability.

This article will help you learn more about wood pellets. In it Wood.ua will talk about the main advantages of pellets, their areas of use and the production process.

Description

Pellets are a special type of biofuel. The raw materials for their manufacture are organic waste from the agricultural and woodworking industries. This includes wood chips, bark, sawdust and other waste. Timber can also act in this capacity.

On special machines, it is possible to form the optimal cylindrical shape of pellets, which contributes to the perfection of the transportation of wood fuel. The diameter of the pellets is 5-10 mm. with a length of 20-30 mm., the humidity should be no more than 12%.

Coniferous wood is often the raw material for the production of pellets. Granules are obtained of good quality, the production of which went to hardwood raw materials. You can buy pine pellets at a low price directly from the Ukrainian manufacturer here.

Phased production

There are no particular difficulties in the manufacture of wood pellets. The whole process of pellet production can be divided into several important stages:

• Raw materials after grinding is divided into two groups. The first is for the production of standard material, the second is for low-quality pellets.

• Raw materials are dried in special capsules.

• Production of fuel pellets is carried out by pressing raw materials through mechanical coupling. Particular attention is paid to the level of pressure, temperature indicators.

• Formation is carried out on a granulator. This is a special machine in production, which is designed to granulate raw materials into pellets of a given diameter and size.

• When chilled, the granules are packed in a specific container; storage and sale in bulk is also possible.

• Material storage areas must be dry and covered. Must have good ventilation.

Areas of use

The use of wood pellets is very wide, pellets have found application in various fields of human activity. The most common are the following areas:

1. Desulphurization of biogas. Biogas is rich in sulfur compounds, which contributes to corrosion of metal parts, slagging of engine nozzles and heating boilers, leading to air pollution. For this reason, before starting to use, biogas must be purified (pass desulfurization).

2. As an absorbent. The use of pellets as an absorbent material in the event of an emergency, at gas stations instead of sand.

3. Fuel for boilers. Pellets are an excellent fuel for boilers. They are used for heating residential buildings, baths, saunas, barbecue when traveling to nature. A good result can be achieved by burning fuel briquettes in boilers specially designed for pellets.

4. Filler for chinchilla cages, other cats and cat toilet trays. The main advantages are the absorption of moisture in an especially large weight, which does not represent safety for animals.

5. Fuel for grilling. It is a great alternative to charcoal while grilling kebabs.

6. In animal husbandry. The adsorbing properties of wood pellets make them an excellent litter material for horses, cows, goats. In addition to absorbing moisture, they prevent odors in animal pens.

7. In horticulture and horticulture, the use of pellets is manifested by fertilizing plants with burning ash. If there is a garden, then when using this fuel there will be no waste.

Benefits

One of the main advantages of this type of solid fuel for residential premises is that, unlike gas, coal and firewood, pellets are produced from waste. This is only one of the many important advantages of this material. Consider all the pros:

• Energy independence. With such fuel, no increase in gas or electricity prices or their shutdown should be a concern.

• Fuel supply in an automated mode. The house is warming up evenly and you don’t have to throw firewood every hour.

• High heat dissipation. Such qualities as high density and dryness provide granules with calorific value, which is much higher than firewood has. She puts pellets on a par with gas and coal.

• Fuel pellets are considered environmentally friendly fuel. They are produced from wood, which has no harmful impurities.

• Convenient maintenance. The boiler will need to be cleaned once a month, since pellets have a minimum ash content. This limits all maintenance work.

• The budget cost of the heating period. At first glance, fuel granules may not seem cheap. If the calculation of heat is transferred to hryvnia-calories, it turns out that the price of heating with pellets is second only to gas.

• Preservation of pellets does not require special facilities. The fuel is in plastic bags, there is no smell, no dust, ignition is excluded.

• Easy to transport over long distances. This bulk product, due to its regular shape and small size, can be unloaded and loaded automatically.

Natural wood pellets deserve attention. They are beneficial to both the manufacturer and the buyer.