What wood is wood pellets made from

evoke · Hazel Tree Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 6

Hello, this is my first post. Can not believe that i found a forum that shares my passion for bringing back native irish trees.

What wood is wood pellets made out of. I heard it was willow cause it was a fast and easy grower. Also that you got the best heat out of willow wood then any other wood.

Thought it might be a good idea to start planting alot of willow trees. they are so easy to grow. Just stick a piece of willow wood in the ground.

thanks

walltoall · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 9:54 am Post subject: Welcome to the reel world

Hello "Evoke" and I think you may find this is a useful site to come back to if you are a gardener.

I find it a good source of workable advice, so here are my comments to answer your query. Knowing the gang here, I reckon others will have different advice, but that's what forums are best at! Wood pellets can be and are made from ANY wood product. Usually sawdust is a first option as it already pulverised. But there are machines coming on-stream to deal with all sorts of wood-waste including old planks. http://www.nef.org.uk/logpile/pellets/introduction.htm

Willow is a wonderful material and well suited to the production of bio-mass, but I can't see it scoring high at wood-pellet production due to the high water content and the need to get the finished product down to 10%. Before you start sticking willow slivers all over your acre, search the internet for "wood pellets". You may decide it won't be a big earner unless your ground is really damp all year.

GPI · Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:24 pm Post subject:

Wood chip & sawdust are commonly used in the manufacture of wood pellets, so that a lot of the grinding down is done already before they move on to the reforming into pellets and the drying process.
So whatever left over wood byproduct from manufacturing doors/kitchens etc. etc. may be used. This should be without glues, varnishes and other treatments.
Heres two quick videos on the subject.....

Wood pellet manufacture slideshow.

Idea for pellet production from rapeseed/canola leftovers.

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BlackBird · Silver Birch Tree Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 171

Yeah, I reckon the heat generated by pellets made from ash or oak would be much greater than those created from willow. But the drying process and how dry you keep the pellets on site would have a lot of say in this as well. You could grow willow just for logging up an burning I suppose evoke.

Michael196 · Hazel Tree Joined: 24 Jul 2008 Posts: 37 Location: WEXFORD

WILLOW grows fast, we used to grow willow to burn before the days of pellets. so long as you can tolerate its fast growth, they grow best in wetlands, by a river or pond.

evoke · Hazel Tree Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 6

Does it become a weed then that you cannot control.Just put about 20 sticks down there on the weekend. I have 2 willow trees in my garden for the past 3 years. have not gone out of control yet.

Sb · Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 11:40 pm Post subject:

evoke · Hazel Tree Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 6

yea i will get some to show you.How do you know what kind of willow it is. It must be a good guess.Will post up some pictures.

is the tame willow a native irish tree.If not i will try and look for that native irish willow. Want to kep all my trees native.