How are wood pellets made?
Wood pellets are one of the fastest growing biomass fuels in the world. Biomass wood pellets are more environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, wood pellets are heating millions more homes and municipal spaces every year. But just what goes into wood pellets and how are they made?
The manufacturing process
Wood pellet fuel is made from a number of different materials including sawdust, wood chips, lumber mill scrap and even food waste. Truckloads of these materials are delivered to the pellet mill, often when they are green or fresh, so they sometimes need to be dried before they can be treated.
By processing the materials so that they are all in the same state before being made into pellets, the manufacturer can be sure that they will burn consistently, in terms of heat value and ash content.
The process usually starts by putting the materials through either a chipper or hammer mill, especially if the source material is non-uniform in size and shape. The hammer mill breaks everything down to around the same size, which then makes passing them through the dryer and pellet die a much quicker process.
Drying
It’s important that the pellets are dry in order for them to burn well and consistently. If they contain high levels of moisture, then this needs to be dried out. Some manufacturers use large drying areas powered by gas to remove any excess moisture.
The press
The materials are then pressed at high temperature, which releases lignins and binds the wood together. This part of the process also determines the size and shape of the pellets. The pellets are then removed from the press and allowed to cool, being stored in a large silo before being shipped to the customer.
Here at The Wood Pellet Delivery Company, we ensure all our pellets are specially treated to remain hard and durable, even during transit. This means they won’t break apart and release large amounts of dust that could clog up your burner. If you’d like to know more about our pellets, then get in touch with a member of our team on 01493 800 662 today.
