Production wastes present at woodworking plants, sawmills and furniture factories are widespread in many fields of activity. Shredded sawdust is used in the construction and agricultural industries, while the raw materials are ground to the smallest state, resembling flour in structure. Wood flour is a product of the processing of natural wood and its derivatives. The popularity of recycled wood is explained by its low cost, while the operational quality of products made from wood powder is much higher than that of synthetic materials and composites.
Material characteristics
The powder obtained by grinding sawdust has a fraction of several microns, although flour with larger particles is sometimes found. The color of the recyclable material directly depends on the type of wood from which it is derived. In most cases, light amber or chestnut shades are found. The first option is inherent in coniferous species of wood, which have a light color of fibers. Depending on the brand of wood flour, it can be used in the production of phenolic plastics, building materials, various compounds (including for the chemical industry), filter elements and carpentry adhesives. This material is characterized by excellent hygroscopic properties, is easily packaged in any convenient container and does not change its physical parameters under the influence of external factors. Given the fact that this type of recyclable material absorbs moisture without difficulty, it is customary to transport and store it in dense plastic bags.
Feedstock Requirements
The production of wood flour can be based on a wide range of materials, the main thing is that they all be of natural origin and be completely freed from metal elements. In the event that at a furniture or woodworking plant products are treated with chemical flame retardants or antiseptics, the waste accompanying their manufacture is not used to produce wood flour. As for the forms and fractions of the feedstock, they can be completely different. Chips, sawdust, shavings, trimming and debris are suitable for laying in shredders.
The highest quality flour is obtained from the waste of freshly cut trees that have passed the drying procedure. The characteristics of the feedstock directly affect the use of the finished product. For example, in the manufacture of electrode cellulose it is possible to use low-grade wood flour, while at the same time, the production of components for building adhesives requires high performance raw materials, and here only high-grade material is suitable.
Production technology
Flour production belongs to the category of technological methods that are used in the processing of raw materials of plant origin. The technological process consists of several stages: preparatory procedures, mechanical processing (grinding), sorting (screening) and drying. At the initial stage, the raw material base is collected, which is then sent to a processing workshop equipped with special crushing equipment, where sawdust or any other suitable raw material is converted into wood flour. Depending on what type of product they plan to receive after processing wood waste, they select the grinding method taking into account the presence of one or another mechanism. In addition to the variety of flour, when choosing a method for its production, the characteristics of the base material are also taken into account, which ultimately will affect the grade of the finished product.
Industrial equipment
Equipment for the production of wood powder is a machine equipped with a certain type of mechanism. Often in the industrial sector, a hammer crusher belonging to the class of percussion machines is used. Here, the grinding of raw materials occurs between the rotor unit and the calibration sieve, through which the finished product of the given fraction wakes up. This principle of processing has been introduced at those enterprises where they receive coarse bulk material from minerals, but in the case of fibrous wood, things are not so simple.
The thing is that the tree has an elastic soft structure, which, under mechanical shock, is more likely to stretch and break, rather than turn into a dispersed mass. In this case, it would be wiser to use a crushing plant that operates on the principle of dynamic self-grinding. Such aggregates generate dense air currents, which under pressure destroy the structure of the tree, turning it into flour. This technique is considered the most effective, because it does not require cleaning, washing and drying the finely divided mass.
Application area
Wood flour is widely used:
- as one of the components of drilling cement slurries in the oil industry;
- in the composition of wood-polymer composites;
- as a basis for dry mixes and grouts, actively used in the construction and repair field;
- as a filler filler to give the building mixture the necessary characteristics and properties;
- in agriculture to improve soil fertility;
- in the role of mulch, with the help of which they shelter plants from aggressive climatic manifestations.
Not only powdery mass is produced from wood raw materials, but they also put on stream the production of coarse-grained compositions, indispensable in the production of heat-insulating materials and fuel pellets.
Finally
With the advent of compact equipment, it became possible to manufacture wood flour in domestic conditions. Of course, the units in terms of productivity are significantly inferior to industrial machines, however, in a private economy, the huge scale of production is not relevant. Having wooden waste handy, you can easily make a blank for mulching, mix puttying compounds or organize drainage systems. After all, wood absorbs moisture well, which is very important when organizing a septic tank or sewer in its area.