Effect of binders on the durability of wood pellets fabricated from Larix kaemferi C. and Liriodendron tulipifera L. sawdust

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of binders on the durability of wood pellets. Rapeseed flour (RF), coffee meal (CM), bark (BK), pine cones (PC), and lignin powder (LP) were used as binders in the fabrication of larch (LAR) and tulip tree (TUT) pellets. The tumbling-can method was used to measure the durability of the pellets. The addition of RF, CM, and LP to LAR and TUT particles produced pellets with good durability, and mixing CM or LP led to an improved higher heating value (HHV) of the pellets due to their high lignin and fat/oil contents. Durabilities of the LAR and TUT pellets increased as RF and CM contents were increased, and the addition of LP showed the most noticeable effect on increasing the durability. On the other hand, the use of BK and PC had a detrimental effect on the durability of LAR pellets. Based on the results, blending LP, CM, or RF as a binder might help to produce durable LAR and TUT pellets with an increased HHV. In addition, the selection of an optimal feed moisture content for the pellets fabricated with the binders might help in the optimization of the durability.