How Wood Pellets Are Made?
People have been using wood pellets for various purposes. They burn them for residential and commercial heating, power generation, and animal bedding.
If you can learn how pellets are made, you make a good profit. According to a report, the global wood pellets market can reach a valuation of USD 9.21 billion in 2022. So make the most out of this opportunity.
Follow the below steps to make wood pellets.
Steps for Making Wood Pellets
Step 1: Collect the Raw Material
You can make pellets with a wide range of wooden materials such as bark, sawdust, wood chips, bamboo wood, and forest residue.
Wood from pine and poplar trees is most suitable for pellets.
Besides this, you can also use agricultural by-products, such as
corn stalks, bamboo stalks, husks, crop straws, and more.
Step 2: Crushing of Raw Material
In this step, you need to crush all raw materials you accumulate. The aim is to make smaller pieces out of raw materials.
You can use a hammer mill for the same. It is a machine that uses tiny hammers to smash and shred materials into smaller pieces.
If you notice metal particles in raw material, you can use a magnet to remove them.
Step 3: Drying of Raw Material
Once you have made your raw material ready, dry it. Your raw material requires a certain amount of moisture to form well-shaped wood pellets.
The moisture for wood pellets should be between 10 to 15%.
You can buy a moisture analyzer to analyze the moisture level of your raw material.
If there is excessive moisture, use a dryer. Drum dryers and airflow dryers are readily available in the market.
Step 4: Pelletizing
Two types of wood pellet machines are common in the market for pelletizing: Ring die pellet mill and Flat die pellet mill.
The primary difference between a flat die pellet machine and a ring die pellet machine is their process for pellet formation.
A flat die mill features a circular perforated disk having two rollers to force raw material through the holes to form pellets.
On the contrary, the ring dies pellet mill comes with a revolving perforated on which rollers put pressure on the raw material and throw it to the inner perimeter to make pellets.
A flat die pellet machine is suitable for low-scale pellets, while a ring die machine gives you higher output. So choose the mill according to your requirements.
Nowadays, you can buy a pellet machine that gives you the best of both flat and ring die pellet mills.
Put the raw material into the pelletizing chamber of your machine. The mill will heat sawdust to a temperature of 120 to 130 degree Celsius.
The lignin in sawdust begins to activate at such high temperatures. The lignin acts as a natural glue that binds the particles and forms pellets.
When raw material passes through die-holes, they take the shape of pellets.
Step 5: Cooling
Let your pellets cool for a few hours before you store them. If you produce pellets in a limited number, you can let ambient air cool down pellets. For large quantities of wood pellets, you can use a counter-flow cooler.
Step 6: Packing
The proper pengemasan is crucial for wood pellets. It enhances the overall value of your pellets.
Packaging preserves the quality and aesthetics of your pellets for a long time.
You can use PE bags to pack wood pellets. These bags come in multiple layers. Therefore, they give optimum protection to your wood pellets.
You can use an automatic wood pellet packaging machine to make things easier.
Step 7: Storage
If you produce wood pellets in large quantities, you must have a dedicated space for their storage. Make sure the area is dust and moisture-free.
How to Check the Quality of Wood Pellets?
Before you supply wood pellets for delivery, you must check their quality. You can try the following ways to do this.
Watch the Appearance
If you have used sawdust as raw material, pellets should be light brown. On the contrary, if you are using the bark, you will notice dark brown particles.
Break your wood pellet from the center to examine the color of the pellet layers. Do not worry if the outer color of the wood pellets is dark. It generally happens due to the friction the pellet machine creates.
Nevertheless, the inner colors of the pellet should be light.
Smell
A well-formed wood pellet has the scent of freshly cut softwood.
Another thing you can do to check the quality of your pellet is light them from the tip. Its smoke must have the aroma of burning wood.
If you get a peculiar smell, there might be a duduk perkara with the quality of your pellets.
Take a Dissolve Test
It is one of the best ways to determine the quality of pellets. Take a small piece of your pellet, and put it into a glass of water. It should dissolve in the water properly.
You can see the heaviest particles at the bottom. If there are more particles at the bottom, it could be an indication that the raw material was mixed with dust.
Advantages of Wood Pellets
Wood pellets have several benefits over gas, electricity, and coal.
Renewable
Wood pellets use renewable substances such as sawdust, wood shavings, and more as raw materials. Unlike fossil fuels, the feedstock for wood pellets is readily available.
Cost-Effective
Wood pellets are comparatively more cost-effective than natural gas and fossil oil. Moreover, they have high heat efficiency.
Eco-Friendly
Compared to other heating options, wood pellets have low carbon emissions. If you use wood pellets instead of oil, it naturally reduces carbon dioxide emissions.
Boosts Local Economy
Wood pellets are not only environmentally-friendly but also boost the local economy. The growing demand for wood pellets ensures profit for the timber industry and those who make wood pellet boilers and heating systems.
Conclusion
So this is how wood pellets are made. If you are looking to start a wood pellet making business, it is the right time.
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