• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.362-369
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• 2014

This study investigated physical properties and combustion gas characteristics for 8 types of wood pellets (4 domestic and 4 imported products) distributed in the domestic market. Results showed that most pellet types were first-grade pellets in the wood pellet quality standards in Korea with the exception of 3 pellet types from K company (second-grade in mechanical durability), G company (off-grade in nitrogen content) and P company (second-grade in ash percentage). Mixed pellets which contained more lignin and sap content were higher in mechanical durability (%) than that of white pellets. From the combustion gas analysis results, NOx emitted from all pellets combustion was at acceptable levels for national emission standard of the Clean Air Conservation Act except for pellets from G company. In addition, CO levels from all types of wood pellets were acceptable except for pellets from D company and domestic pellets were higher CO levels than imported pellets. These results indicate the higher CO levels in domestic pellets due to the usage of forest thinning materials including logging debris which usually had the high content of bark.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.381-391
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• 2023

Densification is a technique used to improve biomass quality in wood pellet manufacturing and torrefaction treatment. In this study, the effects of torrefaction on the quality of Calliandra wood pellets were investigated, and pellets of Calliandra wood (Calliandra calothyrsus) and bark were evaluated. The study was conducted using a completely randomized design with two treatment factors, namely torrefaction temperature (250℃ and 300℃) and torrefaction duration (30, 45, and 60 min). The results showed that the interaction between temperature and torrefaction duration significantly affected the compressive strength, proximate value, and calorific value of the torrefied Calliandra wood pellets. An increase in the temperature and torrefaction duration decreased the compressive strength, moisture content, volatile matter content, and ash content of the torrefied Calliandra wood pellets. Conversely, the calorific value of Calliandra wood pellets increased with increasing temperature and torrefaction duration. The best-quality Calliandra wood pellets were produced at a torrefaction temperature and duration of 300℃ and 60 min, respectively. In terms of important quality parameters, ash content of 0.90% and calorific value of 6,303.80 cal/g were observed, which complied with the quality standards of Indonesian National Standard 8675:2018 and Deutsche Industrie Norm 51731.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.382-398
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• 2017

This study was conducted to identify the potential of Quercus mongolica (QUM), Pinus densiflora (PID) and Pinus rigida (PIR) as a raw material for pellet production. Larix kaempferi (LAK), which has mostly been used for pellet production in Korea, was also used as a control. All specimens contained very minimal amounts of sulfur and chlorine. Ash content of LAK was the lowest, followed by PID, PIR and QUM. For the size distribution, the mass fraction between 0.42 mm and 0.25 mm was the highest in PIR. Most fuel characteristics of the produced wood pellets improved with the use of 12% moisture content (MC) particles and the increase of the ratio of length to diameter of a hole in flat-die (L/D ratio). When the MC, bulk density and durability of QUM, PID, PIR and LAK pellets was compared with the standards of the KFRI and ISO, the use of wood particles of 12% MC and flat-die with an L/D ratio of 5.00 for PID particles are suitable for high-quality pellets in the aspects of all fuel characteristics. For PIR and QUM, further work is needed to seek the optimum conditions for the production of high-quality and durable pellets.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.1-8
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• 2022

This study aimed to determine the optimal conditions for fabricating pitch pine (PCP) and Mongolian oak (MOK) pellets using chestnut-shell tea waste (CSW) and castor oil (CSO) as additives. For pellets fabricated using a pilot-scale flat-die pellet mill, all moisture content (MC) was in line with A1 wood pellet standards for residential and small-scale commercial uses designated by the National Institute of Forest Science at the Republic of Korea (NIFOS), regardless of fabricating conditions; the durability of PCP pellets prepared using PCP particles with 10% MC, and CSW addition also satisfied these criteria. The moisture tolerance of PCP pellets improved with combination of 2 wt% CSW and 2-6 wt% CSO. Overall, use of 20 mesh CSW as an additive, PCP with 10% MC, and MOK with 12% MC was found to be optimal. Moreover, using CSO as an additive, high-quality PCP and MOK pellets can be fabricated by adjusting the particles to 12% MC. However, the durability of PCP and MOK pellets prepared using these conditions did not meet the wood pellet standards for residential and small-scale commercial use. Therefore, further research is needed to improve the durability of these pellets.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.258-267
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• 2017

In this study, pitch pine (Pinus rigida, PIR) and Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica, QUM) pellets were fabricated with bark or/and drying waste liquor (DWL) of larch (Larix kaempferi, LAK) as an additive. Based on the results of fuel characteristics of the pellets, optimal conditions for producing the high-quality pellets were provided. In the analysis of chemical composition, bark contained holocelluose and lignin of 90% and over. DWL had 0.1% solid assumed to sugars which are generated from the oven-drying of LAK logs. QUM showed high ash content (2.2%) by containing of bark in the sawdust. Bark and DWL of LAK had high ash content of 4% and over. Calorific values of all specimens and additives were higher than that of the $1^{st}$-grade standard of wood pellets designated by NIFOS (18.0 MJ/kg). PIR and QUM pellets were fabricated with additive of 2 wt% based on the solid weight of oven-dried sawdust using a piston-type flat-die pelletizer, and thus ash content and calorific value of the pellets did not affect by the use of additive. Durability of the pellets increased with the use of additive. Durabilties of pellets, which were fabricated with bark as an additive and DWL as a controller of moisture content for sawdust, did not differ from those of pellets without additives and were lower than those of pellets either with bark or DWL. However, use of both bark and DWL for the production of wood pellets might be favorable because it can make a profit from the collection process of DWL. Based on the results of fuel characteristics of the pellets, QUM and PIR pellets were produced by a flat-die pelletizer. Moisture content (MC), bulk density and durability of the pellets improved with the use of additive. Particularly, sawdust MC of 10% and the addition of bark or DWL for PIR as well as sawdust MC of 12% and the addition of bark for QUM might be optimal conditions for the production of high-quality pellets. Except for the ash content of QUM pellets, other properties of PIR and QUM pellets exceeded the $1^{st}$-grade wood pellets standards of NIFOS.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.60-71
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• 2014

This study was conducted to identify the potential of rape stalk as a raw material for biorefinery process of rape flower. At first, rape stalk (RS) was immersed in distilled water (DW), acetic acid (AA), oxalic acid (OA), sulfuric acid (SA) and sodium hydroxide (SH) solutions, and the content of reducing sugars liberated from immersed RS was analyzed. Glucose, xylose, arabinose and sucrose were detected varying with the immersion type. In particular, 1% AA-immersion of RS for 72 hr was the most effective conditions to liberate glucose from RS. Secondly, the RS residues were used for elementary analysis and fabrication of fuel pellets. In addition to the solution type, concentration of immersion solutions (0%, 1%, 2%) and immersion time (24, 72, 120 hr) were used as experimental factors. The contents of nitrogen, sulfur and chlorine reduced effectively through the immersion of RS in DW, AA and OA solutions. For properties of RS-based pellets, bulk density and higher heating value of RS-based pellets greatly increased with the immersion of RS, and the qualities were much higher than those of the A-grade pellet of the EN standards. Ash content decreased remarkably through the immersion of RS, and was satisfied with the A-grade pellet standard. Durability was negatively affected by the immersion of RS, and did not reached to B-grade of the EN standard. In conclusion, acid immersion of RS can be a pretreatment method for the production of fuel pellet and bioethanol, but use of the immersed RS for the production of high-quality pellets might be restricted due to low durability of immersed-RS pellets. Therefore, further studies, such as investigation of detailed immersion conditions, fabrication of mixed pellets with wooden materials and addition of binders, are needed to resolve the problems.