In this study, it was conducted to produce wood pellets using domestic forest thinning residues and examine their quality according to Korean pellet quality standard. Raw materials were composed of larch and mixed broad leaves species. Based on the small-end diameter (6 cm), they were classified into four different types of raw materials such as LM (larch with middle diameter), LS (larch with small diameter), MM (mixed broadleaf with middle diameter), and MS (mixed broadleaf with small diameter). After crushing and drying process, wood pellets were produced by a ring-die type pelletizer using each raw material. Wood pellets made from four different types of raw materials were tested for their quality such as calorific value, moisture content, ash content, inorganic matters and so on. As results of quality analysis, the calorific values of all wood pellets were higher than 198 kcal/kg, and satisfied with the first grade of Korea wood pellet standard. The ash content was slightly increased after pelletizing. Mechanical durability of wood pellets was highly dependent on the types of raw materials. The quality differences among wood pellets were turned out due to different physical and chemical characteristics of raw materials even though the same pelletizing condition was applied.

Authors: Ahn, B.J; Kim, Y.-S.; Lee, O.K.; Cho, S.T.; Choi, D.H.; Lee, S.M.

Subjects: pellets, wood products, quality standards, thinnings

Publication type: Journal Article, Non-ISI, Publication

Year: 2013

ISSN: 1017-0715

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5658/WOOD.2013.41.4.346