Biomass pellet making involves more than you think. When you add materials to the biomass pellet making machine, many more activities occur than what you can see. Among them are chemical reactions and the actual making of the pellets. You can only see little of what goes on in the background.
What chemicals are used to make wood pellets?
The making of wood pellets involves a lot. Some of the chemicals used to form wood pellets include molasses, starch, plant oil, synthetic agents, lignin, and paraffin. The formation of wood pellets comprises a series of chemical reactions that make the sawdust and other materials stick together.
Some of the materials that make biomass also help produce the chemicals. These materials include organic components such as sawdust, wood chips, and tree bark. These organic materials are all combined, each of them producing a contributing chemical that aids in the production of pellets.
Is it cheaper to burn wood or pellets?
It is cheaper to burn pellets rather than wood. Pellets are compressed wood and, therefore, when used as fuel, are not as wasteful as wood. Using pellets can be compared to using wood sparingly.
The primary reason pellets are cheaper is that they are more efficient in heat generation. You can use a small amount of pellets to generate a reasonable amount of heat, whether it is in your furnace or grill. Therefore, burning pellets is cheaper and better than wood.
Which binder is used for pellet making?
Lignin is the binder used for pellet making. During pellet production, the pressure caused when squeezing out material from the die trigger the production of lignin which is the binding element during pellet making. However, the amount of lignin produced might be small to allow the binding of pellets.
When the lignin produced is lesser than the required amount, other binding agents may be introduced. Such binding agents include vegetable oil, water, or starch. While other binding agents may be introduced to assist in binding pellets, these are the most commonly used.
In some cases, you might prefer to get a pellet binder from a nearby store. The purchased pellet binders are helpful, especially when binding feed pellets. To use the purchase pellet binder, you need to sprinkle some of it to the material or feed and add some water to create stickiness.
Can you make wood pellets from leaves?
Instead of making wood pellets from leaves, you will end up with leaf pellets. Leaves contain high amounts of fiber. Leaves are good sources of heat when used to make pellets because they burn sufficiently, thus producing a good amount of heat. Furthermore, you may combine leaves with other materials to make biomass.
If you are making biomass, you need to ensure they are cleaned and free from any contaminants. Using clean biomass will help prolong the life of your biomass pellet machine. Moreover, you would have good quality biomass pellets that will generate a good amount of heat when used in the furnace or grill.
