Go Greener Tips

Pellet making machines are known by means of quite a lot of names, including wood pellet machinery, biomass pellet mill and biomass pellet press among others. The basic principle of all biomass pellet machines is the compression of the wood residue between a roller as well as die. The pressure and temperature involved melts the biomass residue together plus forms it into a pellet shape. Once the pellets cool they hold the pellet shape plus quality pellets are durable. However the above comment is to make the process appear much more straightforward than it actually is, as the characteristics as well as qualities of the raw material directly impact on how well the matter performs in the pellet mill. The key factors which effect the materials performance are particle size, matter density, moisture content in addition to lignin percentage.

Learn more about Wood Pellet

The general rule for particle size before going into the pellet is to be smaller than the diameter of the pellet to be created. For case if the pellet mill is using a 6mm die, the raw matter particle size should be 6mm or below. On the other hand quite a few studies have shown that a smaller particle size of around 3mm performs better in the wood pellet machinery producing a more compressed pellet. One of the reasons for this through a smaller particle size, the pellet mill has better heat penetration into the raw material to melt the natural lignin to help form the pellet. Yet, reducing the particle size below 3mm can have a negative effect on pellet compression. As a fine dust the rollers of the pellet find it hard to trap the material between the roller plus die. Also as the fibre of the raw matter has been broken down to such a level, compression results are severely effected. Once the correct particle size has been established the wood is processed in a hammer mill by means of a suitably sized screen to prepare the wood particles for the biomass pellet machine. However matter density also effects the performance of the pellet mill. For case in point the pellet mill will have a different productivity by softwood residues compared to hardwood residues. The reasons for this is it is easier to compress softwood along with temperature penetration is easier, therefore a higher productivity can be achieved with softwood residues. Some biomass pellet manufactures make a blend of softwood in addition to hardwood residues to improve the performance of the biomass pellet machinery.

Read more about Wood Pellet Machine

One of the key reasons wood pellets burn so efficiently is owing to the fact their moisture content is so low, however a certain percentage of moisture is required in the pellet construction process to help to melt the unrefined lignin to bind the pellet together. This percentage varies between biomass species in addition to diverse pellet machines plus processes. For case in point, large scale construction uses steam conditioners to organize the particle along with pre-melt the lignin, here a lower moisture content is suitable. Though for smaller scale production where steam conditioning is not practical or affordable, a higher moisture content is required. Some raw materials may also require additional binder as well as lubricants as the percentage of natural lignin is not sufficient. If this is the example the most common additional binders are based around modified corn starch. The input is below 1%, in addition to can improve pellet quality as well as also increase pellet mill productivity.

More information on Wood Pellet Prices