Analysis of Selected Quality Features of Wood Pellets

The article presents an analysis of the energy, mechanical and chemical properties of pellets made of wood material. According to the manufacturer, wood pellets were made of hard wood shredded to fractions approx. 1 mm thick and up to 3-4 mm long, and of a waste source - sawdust. Measurements of the selected properties were carried out on pellets with a diameter of 6 and 8 mm. Mechanical durability, humidity, crumble rate, ash quantity, calorific value were determined, as well as macronutrient and heavy metals content. The calorific value of pellets, with moisture content from 7.48% to 6.76% and ash content from 0.31% to 0.55%, ranged from 17.71-19.18 MJ·kg⁻¹, which testified to the beneficial energy use of the tested raw material. Based on the conducted research, it was found that the mechanical properties of pellets made of both sawdust and hard wood predispose them for use as boiler fuel. The tested materials met high quality standards for wood pellets used for non-industrial and industrial purposes.