Pellets are cylindrical sticks made from sawdust or other agro-waste. The diameter of such cylinders is usually 6-8 mm, and the length is from 5 to 70 mm. For pressing, it is not necessary to add any gluing additives to the feedstock, since the pellets are pressed under very high pressure and the natural binder - LIGNIN - is squeezed out of the fibers of the raw material. This substance sticks together the raw materials, and the pellet retains its shape. Basically, pellets are made from sawdust of coniferous wood, but there are also pellets from birch or oak. In some regions, pellets are produced from various agricultural waste - buckwheat, sunflower, straw. Such agro-pellets are much cheaper, as they have worse energy characteristics. The specific gravity of pellets is greater than 1, so they sink in water. But the bulk density in the medium is 750 kg per 1 m3. When burning 1 kg of pellets, an average of 5 kW of thermal energy is released. Moisture content of pellets is 7-10%. The surface of the pellets is smooth and glossy. It is customary to call pellets made from sawdust without bark and any impurities "WHITE", and all the rest - "GREY" or industrial. Naturally WHITE pellets are always more expensive than GRAY ones.

Pellets are currently considered the most environmentally friendly type of fuel. One does not emit any toxic substances. When burning pellets, exactly the same amount of CO2 is released as was absorbed during the growth of a tree or plant. Pellet boilers that use pellets provide the most efficient fuel combustion due to the efficient shape of the burner and the supply of a large amount of oxygen.

Pellet boiler

There are two types of pellet boilers - with a flare burner and boilers with a retort burner with a rigid pellet feed screw. Boilers with a flare burner are cheaper, but they are more demanding on the quality of pellet fuel - the diameter, length of the pellets must be of a certain size, which is associated with the peculiarity of feeding the pellets into the burner, and the pellets must also be "white" with a low ash content.

Pellet boilers "START" are equipped with a Polish cast-iron retort burner for volumetric combustion with secondary air supply to the combustion zone. Such a burner can work on any granular fuel - on white, gray and agro-pellets, of any diameter and length. The cast iron bowl allows you to provide ideal conditions for efficient combustion of pellets and get maximum efficiency. When burning pellets in the boiler, no smell is emitted, and the color of the smoke is almost colorless, so outwardly it does not differ from a gas boiler. Unlike a gas boiler house, such boilers can be installed at recreation centers and in residential areas.

Pellets in such a boiler are poured into a large hopper, which is enough for continuous operation for several days. The boiler automation controls the fuel supply to the burner and maintains the temperature in the heating system or in the room. You can even control such a boiler using a cell phone.

How to determine the quality of pellets and where to buy them?

Where to buy pellets and how to choose the best quality fuel for your pellet boiler. After purchasing boilers, many people are faced with this - where to buy pellets, who makes them. It is difficult and almost impossible for an inexperienced person to distinguish high-quality pellets from low-quality pellets. Have to trust in the first purchase on the seller. It is better to purchase a trial batch first. You will recognize low-quality pellets as soon as you start using them. High ash content is not the biggest trouble. It is much worse if large pieces of solid slag are formed during the combustion of pellets - this is sintering sand, earth, which should not be in good pellets. The photo shows the appearance of the resulting slag. Slag interferes with the normal combustion of fuel, so it must be removed immediately as it forms. Usually once a day. Fuel consumption when using low-quality pellets can be several times higher!

The highest quality "white" pellets are not always white in appearance. Pellets may be brown, but are referred to as "white". During granulation, the raw material is heated and the pellet may darken a little because of this.

The easiest and most reliable way is to contact your friends, they have already checked everything and will not advise you bad. If there are no such acquaintances, then it remains only to search on the Internet. You should not trust certificates, it would be better to purchase a trial batch. Through the Internet you can find contacts of manufacturers and sellers. There are also specialized sites on pellets, woodworking - some bulletin boards. It should also be noted that not all manufacturers have websites on the Internet. Moreover, the prices of such manufacturers can be quite low.

Prices for pellets are the lowest in summer. But it is possible that there are no pellet manufacturers in your area, then look in the neighboring areas. Many manufacturers can arrange delivery themselves, or you can bring it yourself through any transport company. It's not hard.

Quality pellets must be dry and break with a characteristic click (like a pencil), have a hard smooth outer surface, color does not matter, must not contain sand and other impurities, must be made from fresh wood (not dust) or other pure plant components (buckwheat, sunflower, straw, oats). Sunflower pellets are simply black in color and their only drawback is their high ash content. The price of such pellets is several times lower than wood pellets.

Conditions for storing pellets

Pellets are usually sold in bags from 15 to 40 kg, as well as in large bags - BIG-BAGS weighing about 700-1000 kg. You can store pellets in any room or under a canopy, always on a floor or wooden pallets. It is necessary to exclude the ingress of precipitation on bags with pellets. When moisture gets in, the pellets disintegrate and turn into the raw material from which they were produced - that is, into sawdust. Also keep in mind that pellets do not like temperature changes, and if cold, frosty pellets are brought in from the street, they can become damp due to moisture condensation. At least you should not unpack the bag immediately from the street, it must be at the same temperature as the temperature in the boiler room. Pellets do not absorb moisture from the air. Purchased pellets can be stored for many years without losing their quality.

You can often hear that the best thing is simply fire up the boiler with a trial batch of fuel. It's hard to argue with this if you have the opportunity to try the products of several manufacturers. We will tell you how to determine the quality of pellets without burning.

How to identify good pellets by eye

First of all, a few words about the method of making wood pellets. Sawdust, wood chips, shavings of various types of wood, non-liquid wood products, as well as sunflower husks and straw can serve as raw materials for them. Granulation of repeatedly crushed and dried raw materials takes place on: this device with the help of a shaft and rollers pushes the raw material through the cells of the matrix at a temperature of 250-300 C about. Under these conditions, the wood releases a substance lignin, which contributes to the natural gluing of the granule and the preservation of its integrity after cooling.

Thereby good quality granules have a smooth and glossy surface, it should not have many chips and cracks. Such a state is ensured, in particular, by running wood at a sufficient temperature.

Production features

Indirect reason for trust - production size. Large wood pelleting companies can ensure stable performance of wood pellets, either as they are engaged in wood processing or have regular suppliers. Smaller complexes usually have less professional equipment and collect raw materials from different places. The result is also different.

Pellet size

The size of the granule is usually 6, 8, 10 mm in diameter and from 1 to 5 cm in length. European equipment produces products with a cross section of 6 mm, domestic equipment can produce pellets with a diameter of 8 and even 10 mm. First of all, it is necessary to get rid of the myth that 6 mm is a quality standard. On the contrary, smaller granules that have not been properly processed crumble more easily.

In terms of size, you should be guided solely by recommendations for your boiler, since its automation is designed for such fineness. If you use pellets larger than specified in the instructions, the boiler mechanisms will experience increased stress.

Pellet consistency

Worth paying attention to granule hardness, for this try break it apart. Pay attention to whether it lends itself easily, whether the broken place crumbles. The higher the hardness, the more wholesome the total mass in the big bag or in storage will be. This is important, because fuel pellets are often poured back and forth, agitated, and the bag is knocked down in a big way. Agree, it’s a shame if they bring you a load where a third of the volume is crumbled into dust, and another third is broken? To avoid this, one should know the degree abrasiveness pellet.

Abrasiveness is measured on lingotester, in international certificates this parameter is referred to as DU (mechanical strength). Pellets weighing up to 100 kg are pressed for 1 min, and then they are blown to weed out the separated wood particles. If the product is of good quality, the volume of the crumbled fine fraction should not exceed 1%.

It is worth noting that in bagged granules are better preserved than when shipped in bulk.

Smell

The way the fuel smells may be indicative of the storage method. When stored in damp basements, the mass gives off mustiness and dampness. Ideally, there is either no smell, or it is pleasant, woody, and does not remind you of glue and chemistry.

water test

An easy way to study the composition of a granule is dissolve it in a glass of water. In a normal case, it will soon turn into a wet mass, which is what happens with cat litter. If the cylinder is in no hurry to disintegrate, most likely it is glued with something additionally, since natural ligin quickly dissolves in water.

Wherein granules of any kind sink in water.

Pay attention to the sediment, if you see particles settling at the bottom, then there are a lot of impurities and sand in the product.

Are light pellets good pellets?

Today, a lot of buyers are looking for white pellets for purchase, believing that they will definitely receive a product of the highest standard. Indeed, light color is typical for hardwood sawdust, which are distinguished by high heat dissipation, keep their shape well. However, compliance with production technology is much more important, and color will tell little about this. If hardwoods are granulated with insufficient pressure and heat, their color will remain the same light, and the granules will then crumble.

Or vice versa, at extremely high temperatures, they can burn and become darker, but they will retain decent parameters.

Especially running breeds for are coniferous trees: industrial wood, logging and pulp and paper waste, pine bark, sawdust and wood chips, old wooden structures. Their color is darker, there are blotches of bark. However, the dark color does not affect the quality: in terms of ash content and other checkpoints, they can meet strict European standards. It is the ash content, the percentage of impurities, that is one of the key parameters of pellet quality, which we will discuss below.

Ash content of pellets

Ash content of biofuel is the content of mineral impurities in its total mass. In the wood itself, the content of minerals is insignificant - up to 1%, in the bark there are more of them - up to 3%. The main volume of mineral inclusions in is sand and earth, they get into it when logs, chips and other materials are picked up from the ground surface and are not cleaned. These accumulations (slag) lead to the appearance of deposits and deposits after fuel combustion.

Poor quality pellets - why is it bad?

It is known that Russians tend to choose the cheapest option. “What difference does it make, good or bad pellets, they will burn anyway” - this is probably what a person who wants to save on fuel thinks. However, the use of low-quality pellets has disastrous consequences.

First, their consumption is much higher, due to low heat transfer, abundant crumbling.

Secondly, granules with a high ash content form slag cakes in the furnace - layers of sintered earth, sand and other inclusions. They interfere with the combustion of wood and, as they grow, can lead to emergency stop equipment. The boiler will have to be cleaned many times more often.

Thirdly, such fuel, in the end, leads to boiler failure.. Ash clogs the combustion chamber, disables the mechanisms. Thus, cheap fuel breaks down expensive equipment, and people who have “burned themselves” on low-quality pellets will never resort to such savings.

European and Russian pellet standards

Until now, there are no unified standards for pellets in Russia. However, a large volume of products in our country is exported: this is facilitated by the developed field of woodworking and logging, the abundance of forests in Russia, as well as the established practice of using pellet heating in the EU countries. To do this, manufacturers subject their product to peer review or certification according to a single. It was adopted throughout Europe to replace local standards, primarily the German DIN Plus standard.

According to the single European standard, there are 3 accepted markings:

EN Plus-A1- a premium quality product for use in domestic heating boilers. Ash content up to 0.5%

EN Plus-A2– standard pellets, well suited for home use. Ash content up to 1%.

EN-B– fuel for industrial boilers. Ash content up to 3% is allowed.

How to achieve EN Plus-A1 pellet quality? To do this, you need to use selected raw materials and professional industrial equipment. Similar releases company ALB Group. manufactured by our company fully comply with the EN Plus-A1 standard.

What the quality standard EN 14961-2 takes into account:

• Bulk mass

  Heat of combustion

  Abrasion/dust volume

  Hardness

  Ash content

  Resin melting point

As well as options such as

Type and origin of raw materials

Used equipment

Features of the production process

shipping method.

And how are things in Russia? If pellet production is focused mainly on the domestic market, products can be certified according to GOST.

GOST 55110-2012"Solid biofuels. Determination of mechanical strength of pellets and briquettes. Part 1 of pellets".

GOST 55553-2013"Solid biofuels. Fuel quality confirmation. Part 2. Wood pellets for non-industrial use".

These documents evaluate the quality of fuel pellets according to approximately the same indicators as the European standard. In the process of certification in a number of Russian institutions, such factors are determined as:

1. Release of chemicals during combustion.

2. Formation of pellets from slag.

3. Mechanical strength.

4. The possibility of self-ignition of the mass during transportation and storage.

Thus, serious manufacturers are likely to be puzzled by the evaluation of their product, at least according to domestic standards, and when buying, you can ask the seller for an appropriate certificate. Nevertheless, such an option is possible that, once having received a certificate, the manufacturer will immediately reduce the requirements for raw materials and technologies and start producing pellets of a mediocre quality.

In conclusion, we can say that the use of high-quality raw materials without impurities in the production of fuel pellets is beneficial for both buyers and manufacturers themselves, since a high slag content leads to wear and tear of production equipment. And we advise buyers to be attentive to the quality of pellets, in this case, the mean really pays twice.

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How to evaluate the quality of pellets?

High quality pellets usually have a shiny, smooth surface and no longitudinal cracks. A shiny and smooth surface is evidence that the granulation was carried out at the right temperature.

Hard pellets are preferred, soft pellets often break into crumbs when they are loaded into the hopper, fed into the burner area. A smaller number of particles than required by the standard affects the quality of the pellets - pellets with a large number of particles crumble more easily, their quality is lower. By the amount of dust, fragments in the package, you can determine how often the pellets were reloaded, additional unloading and loading gives a larger amount of small particles, which means dust. Pellets packed in bags are less dusty when compared to pellets shipped in bulk.

Colour

Most often, pellets of white-yellow shades are made from furniture production waste, pellets with an admixture of brown are made from raw materials with bark. The color of the pellets is not an indicator of quality, it only indicates what raw materials were used, how the pelletizing and storage of the pellets was carried out.

Smell

Usually, pellets have the smell of the wood that served as the material for them, or they don’t smell at all. However, pellets that are stored for a long time are filled with the humidity of the surrounding air and absorb its odors.

Why dissolve pellets?

Pellets immersed in water quickly turn into a wet mixture. If this did not happen, then the chemical substance acted as a binding component. Rotating the glass, it is not difficult to see the concentration of heavy particles, if there are a lot of them, then there is sand or wood waste mixed in, dust from grinding equipment. This technique for detecting sand in pellets is not as accurate as burning pellets in boilers.

Usually, in a large enterprise, raw materials come from a single source; this, to some extent, acts as a guarantee of stable operation. Small industries often do not have their own source of raw materials (otherwise the production would have acquired a larger scale), raw materials are taken from nearby sawmills, and so on.

Large production volume means consistent pellet quality. For small volumes, different raw materials are used, equipment is often not converted to raw materials, in the end, this negatively affects the quality of the pellets.

What parameters should not be used to evaluate the quality of pellets:

1. Pellets of any quality are capable of sinking in water;

2. The odor does not affect the assessment, except for a foreign one, which indicates the use of synthetic binders, or improper storage.

3. Do not pay much attention to the unevenness of the edge at the break of the pellet.

Test result in laboratory conditions

Parameter	What parameters are affected
Chemical properties
Humidity	Storage, spontaneous combustion, losses, calorific value
Calorific value	Fuel efficiency, pellet application
Chlorine	Chimney Corrosion, HCL
Nitrogen	Emissions, H2O, NOx HCN
Sulfur	SOx
Potassium	Synthesis of slag, reduction of the melting point of ash
Magnesium, lead, cadmium	Ash melting point increase
Heavy metals	Possibilities of using ash, pollution of ecosystems
Ash concentration	Possibility of ash utilization, its cost
Microbiology	health hazard
Physical Properties
Dimensions, density	Storage and transportation costs
Dust volume	Losses during transportation
Abrasiveness	Losses during application

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Pellets, or pressed granules for space heating for various purposes, are an environmentally friendly fuel that is popular in many European countries. They are obtained from peat, waste from the wood processing industry (sawdust, wood chips, shavings, bark, wood dust), agricultural waste (straw, plant stems, sunflower seed husks, rapeseed), etc. Special equipment is used for production. The general technological process consists in grinding raw materials, wetting, press-granulation, drying and packaging.

The value of this type of alternative energy source lies in its high calorific value (4100-4200 kcal / kg), low explosion and fire hazard, as well as a low percentage of non-combustible residue (ash) - about 0.5-1.5%, depending on the used raw materials. In addition, very little CO2 and harmful substances are released into the atmosphere during combustion. This is the main reason for the popularity of wood and agro-pellets.

Not all consumers from the EU countries adhere to uniform quality standards for granulated products. Many prefer the standards adopted earlier by Germany - "Din" / "Din Plus". Among the necessary requirements are markings of solid eco-fuel. Domestic manufacturers produce these products in different sizes.

If we compare the characteristics, which pellets are better than 6 or 8 mm, we can say with confidence that there are no fundamental differences. The minor difference is as follows:

Pellets 6 mm from the manufacturer burn faster, however, the total specific heat of combustion per unit of production remains the same as when using pellets 8 mm;

For export, 6-millimeter ones are better, both are equally bought on the domestic market;

Granules are 6mm more prone to crumbling;

Light pellets 8 mm are manufactured mainly on equipment that is converted from domestic granulators involved in the production of feed for livestock. Imported equipment is more designed for the production of compressed biofuel 6 mm.

It should be noted that the demand for pellets of various diameters can also be explained by the design of the fuel equipment itself, in particular, the supply system. For example, pellet fireplaces work best on pellets with a diameter of 6 mm. The automation of some devices, including boilers, is set to supply air of a certain volume per unit of time. In addition, the use of products that are not recommended for a particular type of equipment can lead to additional stress on the mechanics, which negatively affects the duration of the boiler.

Therefore, when asked which pellets are better than 6 or 8 mm, it is more fair to talk about the different quality of pellets of the same diameter. And here it is rather not the size that plays a role, but what equipment was used in the manufacture of eco-fuel. It is almost impossible to produce pressed products that meet all modern quality standards on handicraft or low-quality lines.

It should be remembered that non-compliance with certain established requirements, including in terms of size, is the basis for the impossibility of promising long-term cooperation, especially if the manufacturer is aimed at the European market.

What are pellets

Pellets are an alternative fuel for heating suburban real estate. Cheap (2 times cheaper than diesel fuel, but still more expensive than gas), convenient, environmentally friendly. Like any fuel, pellets have their own requirements for storage and transportation, but we note right away that these requirements are softer than the requirements for liquid or gaseous fuels. You can sprinkle pellets on the site without consequences, they will not smell or stain the environment.

However, one should not expect miracles: pellets are not a universal fuel that can be stored in any conditions, burn forever and be of any quality.

Visual assessment of pellet quality

High-quality pellets, as a rule, have a smooth shiny surface without longitudinal cracks. The presence of a smooth and shiny surface indicates, first of all, that the granulation process was carried out at the right temperature, as a result of which the lignin contained in the tree and which is a natural binder, “glued” the pellets properly.

You can try scrap pellets. In general, the harder the pellets, the better, since soft pellets crumble when unloading / transferring to the hopper and feeding to the burner zone. This parameter is called abrasiveness and is measured by a device called Lingotester, in short, the technology is as follows: a weight of 100 kg is applied to the samples for one minute, and then blown with air under pressure. The quality of the pellets is determined by the number of particles less than a certain size specified by the standard - the more particles (respectively, the pellets crumble), the lower the quality of the pellets. By the way, when considering the amount of dust and small particles in a pellet package, it is worth taking into account how many times these pellets were reloaded, since with each unloading-loading, the number of small particles and, as a result, dust increases. As a rule, pellets in bags have a lower amount of dust compared to pellets shipped in bulk.

Pellet diameter
Sometimes you have to hear that 6 mm are the right pellets, but 8 mm is no longer there. This statement is due to the fact that 8 mm pellets are made on equipment converted from domestic granulators that were previously used in agriculture for the manufacture of animal feed, and, accordingly, cannot be of high quality, and 6 mm is mainly produced on imported equipment. However, like 6 mm pellets, 8 mm pellets come in completely different qualities.

On the other hand, pellet fireplaces, for example, due to the design of the feed system, work better on 6 mm pellets. The equipment manufacturer usually indicates the type and diameter of the pellets used. It is not recommended to use pellets of other sizes, because, firstly, the boiler automation is configured for optimal air supply and pellets of this particular diameter, and secondly, the use of pellets of a larger size than recommended leads to increased loads on the boiler mechanics, which can lead to premature exit him out of order.

From our own experience, we can see that the smaller the diameter of the pellets, the faster they crumble.

Colour
Usually, white-yellow pellets are made from furniture production waste, pellets with brown inclusions are made from raw materials with the addition of bark. However, the color of the pellets is not a quality criterion. By the color of the pellets, you can determine what raw materials were used, how the pelletizing took place and how the pellets were stored. But the color will say little about the quality of the pellets themselves.

Smell
As a rule, pellets smell like the wood from which they were made or do not smell at all. On the other hand, pellets, during long-term storage, absorb moisture from the surrounding air and, accordingly, odors.

Dissolving pellets
If you lower the pellets into a glass of water, then after a while the pellets will turn into a wet mass. If this does not happen, then apparently some external chemical substance was used as a binder. When rotating the glass, you can determine the amount of heavy particles, a large number of which indicates the presence of sand, or the use of wood waste with dust from grinders. Let's make a reservation right away that this method of detecting sand in pellets is inferior in accuracy to the method of burning pellets in a boiler.

However, we repeat once again, the color and smell are indicators of what kind of wood, how the pellets were produced and how they were stored, however, they say little about whether there are non-metallic impurities (sand) in the pellets, namely, it is the main "enemy" of pellet boilers .

When determining the quality of pellets, it is not superfluous to pay attention to the production itself. First, as a rule, in large industries, raw materials come from one source, which in some way guarantees the stability of production. In small pellet plants, as a rule, there is no source of raw materials (otherwise it would be a large production) and raw materials are collected at nearby sawmills, etc.
As a rule, the larger the production volume at the enterprise, the more stable the quality of the pellets. With small volumes, as a rule, different raw materials are used, and the equipment is often not rebuilt for one or another raw material, which ultimately can lead to a decrease in the quality of the pellets.
By the way, for example, the Austrian standard describes not only the quality of the pellets themselves, but also the production and transportation of pellets.

What cannot serve as an evaluation criterion
Pellets always sink in water, both good and bad, since the density of pellets is greater than 1 (one).
The smell of pellets is not an evaluation criterion, with the exception of foreign odors indicating the use of chemicals. binders or improper storage.
A smooth edge at the break of the pellet also says little.

Laboratory assessment of pellet quality

A more detailed and reliable assessment can be made in a specialized laboratory, but it should be borne in mind that this is a voluntary matter and, as a rule, the manufacturer receives a certificate at the beginning of production, which does not always guarantee that subsequent batches will be of the same quality. Typically, the results of laboratory tests indicate the following parameters.

	Parameter	Effect (What does it affect)
Chemical characteristics
	Humidity	Storage conditions, calorific value, losses, spontaneous combustion
	Calorific value	Pellet use, fuel efficiency
		HCL, chimney corrosion
		Emissions of NOx HCN and H20
		Reducing the melting point of melting ash, the formation of slag
	Magnesium, Cadmium, Lead	Increasing the melting point of ash
	Heavy metals	Environmental pollution, the possibility of using ash
		Possibility and cost of ash disposal
	Microbiology	health risk
physical characteristics
	Density, dimensions	Transport costs, storage costs
	Dust volumes	Losses in transit
	Abrasiveness	Loss in use

To date, there are no standards for pellets in the Russian Federation, so most manufacturers are guided by Western standards, which, by the way, differ from country to country or invent their own specifications. As far as we know, a single European standard is under development. In addition, existing Western standards sometimes include not only the standard for the pellets themselves, but also standards for their production, storage and transportation.

Certificates for pellets in Russia are issued by various organizations. If a manufacturer sells pellets abroad (where 95% of the production goes today), then it would be more logical to obtain a certificate from international accredited laboratories Incolab and SGS. However, for internal purposes, you can make a certificate in domestic research institutes. The difference in price is more than significant. As a rule, in domestic laboratories all analyzes are done according to GOST, and in Incolab and SGS according to ISO, ASTM, SS, etc. on imported equipment.
Thus, it is possible to ask the manufacturer for a certificate for the produced pellets, however, it should be taken into account that this certificate may not correspond to the final product.

Conclusion

Above, we tried to describe possible ways to check the quality of pellets at home and in the laboratory. In our opinion, we repeat one more time, the best test is the burning of pellets in the boiler and the examination of the results. This is what we are focusing on.

Of course, since the pellet market is still being formed and the above is stated, we do not claim absolute accuracy and we will be grateful for comments and corrections and suggestions on the topic of this article.