• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.271-279
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the moisture content and pellet mill type on the physical and chemical characteristics of Italian ryegrass (IRG) pellet. Moisture content of raw material significantly (p<0.05) affected IRG pellet formation. Moisture content at 25% was the best condition for IRG pellet formation in terms of shape, power load and temperature changes. The hardness of pellet was decreased when moisture content was increase. However, the hardness of pellet was not affected by pellet mill type. Moisture content at 30% dramatically (p<0.05) decreased the durability compared to moisture content at 25%. Dry matter content of IRG pellet was increased (p<0.05) after pelleting. Total count of microorganism was decreased in pellet due to pressure heat and moisture losses during the pelleting process. These results indicated that the proper moisture content of Italian ryegrass pelleting would be at 25%. In addition, Roll & flat die type would be more suitable than Ring die and Die & flat die type in IRG pelleting. Pelleting works would be beneficial for improving forage quality and long storage.

• New & Renewable Energy
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.23-31
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• 2022

This study evaluated the potential of coffee waste (CW) and used frying oil (UFO) as an additive in the production of pitch pine (PIP) and Mongolian oak (MOK) pellets. Ash contents obtained from CW and UFO were 0.5% and <0.1%, respectively. The calorific values of UFO (31.4 MJ/kg) and CW (26.3 MJ/kg) are higher than PIP (20.6 MJ/kg) and MOK (19.1 MJ/kg). For pellets fabricated using a pilot-scale flat-die pellet mill, regardless of fabricating conditions, moisture content (MC) and bulk density of PIP and MOK pellets satisfied the A1 wood pellet standard for residential and small-scale commercial uses, as designated by the National Institute of Forest Science (NIFOS) of the Republic of Korea. When CW was used as an additive, durability of PIP pellets made with 12%-MC sawdust and MOK pellets increased. The optimal conditions for producing PIP and MOK pellets could be by adding 20 mesh CW as an additive and the using of 12%-MC sawdust. However, durability of PIP pellets and ash content MOK pellets did not satisfy the A1 wood pellet standard of NIFOS. Thus, further research is needed to improve the properties of wood pellets with additives.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.80-86
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• 2024

This study was conducted to evaluate the potential of rape stalk (RAS) as a raw material for the production of solid bio-fuels. RAS was immersed in an aqueous solution with acetic acid concentration of 1 percent, The content of reducing sugars separated from the RAS was analyzed. Glucose showed the highest content followed by xylose, galactose, arabinose and mannose. The immersed and non-immersed RAS were used for producing pellets with a pilot-scaled flat-die pellet mill. Bulk density and calorific values of the pellets improved with the use of the immersed RAS and the addition of wood particles. The values exceeded the minimum requirements for the A-grade of non-woody pellets (≧600 kg/m³ & ≧ 14.5 MJ/kg) designated by the ISO. Ash content of the pellets reduced with the immersion of RAS and the value satisfied the A-grade level (≦6.0%) of the ISO standard. The durability of the immersed RAS-based pellets was much higher than that of non-immersed IRS-based pellets, and the values were increased with the addition of wood particles. However, the durability did not meet the acceptance level for the B-grade of non-woody pellets (≧96.0%) designated by the ISO. These results suggested that the addition of binders in the production of non-woody pellets using an RAS immersed in acetic acid-based aqueous solution is required for the commercialization of the 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.