Additive used in the production of wood pellets
An additive used in the production of wood pellets to increase throughput. The additive may be applied as a booster to wood prior to forming the wood into pellets. The booster may comprise 30% to 100% tall oil pitch and 70% to 0% tall oil head and may be applied at a rate of 0.01 to 2 wt. % of the wood.
1. A method of producing wood pellets comprising:
applying a booster to wood, where the booster comprises tall oil pitch and tall oil head; and
forming the wood into wood pellets,
where the application of the booster results in increased throughput of the wood pellets compared to throughput of wood pellets formed from wood without the booster.
2. The method of claim 1 where the booster comprises:
30% to 99% tall oil pitch; and
70% to 1% tall oil head.
3. The method of claim 2 where the booster comprises:
70% to 99% tall oil pitch; and
30% to 1% tall oil head.
4. The method of claim 3 where the booster comprises:
85% tall oil pitch; and
15% tall oil head.
5. The method of claim 1 where the booster is applied to the wood at a rate of 0.01 to 2 wt. % of the wood.
6. The method of claim 5 where the booster is applied at a rate of 0.1 wt. % of the wood.
7. The method of claim 1 where the booster lubricates the wood and allows the wood pellets to be formed with less energy than would be required to form wood pellets from wood without the booster.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising preparing the wood for pellet formation prior to applying the booster to the wood.
9. The method of claim 8 where the wood is wood meal and where preparing the wood comprises grinding the wood meal to a desired size distribution prior to applying the booster to the wood meal.
10. The method of claim 8 where the wood is wood meal and where preparing the wood comprises conditioning the wood meal prior to applying the booster to the wood.
11. The method of claim 8 where the wood is wood chips, where preparing the wood comprises processing the wood chips to wood meal, and where applying the booster to the wood comprises applying the booster to the wood meal after processing the wood chips to wood meal.
12. The method of claim 11 where preparing the wood further comprises grinding the wood meal to a desired size distribution prior to applying the booster to the wood meal.
13. The method of claim 11 where preparing the wood further comprises conditioning the wood meal prior to applying the booster to the wood meal.
14. The method of claim 11 further comprising grinding the wood meal to a desired size distribution after applying the booster to the wood meal.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising conditioning the wood meal after applying the booster to the wood meal.
16. The method of claim 1 further comprising preparing the wood for pellet formation after applying the booster to the wood, where preparing the wood for pellet formation comprises one or more of the following:
processing wood chips to wood meal;
grinding wood meal to a desired size distribution; and/or
conditioning wood meal.
17. The method of claim 1 where forming the wood into wood pellets comprises placing the wood into a pelletizing mill, forcing the wood into a die, and compressing the wood into wood pellets.
18. The method of claim 1 where applying the booster to the wood comprises spraying the booster onto the wood.
19. The method of claim 1 where the application of the booster does not result in decreased quality of the wood pellets compared wood pellets formed from wood without the booster.
20. The method of claim 1 where the booster does not increase the elasticity of the wood pellets.
21. The method of claim 1 where the booster does not function as a binder within the wood pellets.
22. A wood pellet produced by a process comprising the steps of:
applying a booster to wood, where the booster comprises tall oil pitch and tall oil head; and
forming the wood into wood pellets,
where the application of the booster results in increased throughput of the wood pellets compared to throughput of wood pellets formed from wood without the booster.
23. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the booster comprises:
30% to 99% tall oil pitch; and
70% to 1% tall oil head.
24. The wood pellet of claim 23 where the booster comprises:
70% to 99% tall oil pitch; and
30% to 1% tall oil head.
25. The wood pellet of claim 24 where the booster comprises:
85% tall oil pitch; and
15% tall oil head.
26. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the booster comprises 0.01 to 2 wt. % of the wood pellet.
27. The wood pellet of claim 26 where the booster comprises 0.1 wt. % of the wood pellet.
28. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the booster lubricates the wood and allows the wood pellets to be formed with less energy than would be required to form wood pellets from wood without the booster.
29. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the steps further comprise preparing the wood for pellet formation prior to applying the booster to the wood.
30. The wood pellet of claim 29 where the wood is wood meal and where preparing the wood comprises grinding the wood meal to a desired size distribution prior to applying the booster to the wood meal.
31. The wood pellet of claim 29 where the wood is wood meal and where preparing the wood comprises conditioning the wood meal prior to applying the booster to the wood.
32. The wood pellet of claim 29 where the wood is wood chips, where preparing the wood comprises processing the wood chips to wood meal, and where applying the booster to the wood comprises applying the booster to the wood meal after processing the wood chips to wood meal.
33. The wood pellet of claim 32 where preparing the wood further comprises grinding the wood meal to a desired size distribution prior to applying the booster to the wood meal.
34. The wood pellet of claim 32 where preparing the wood further comprises conditioning the wood meal prior to applying the booster to the wood meal.
35. The wood pellet of claim 32 further comprising grinding the wood meal to a desired size distribution after applying the booster to the wood meal.
36. The wood pellet of claim 32 further comprising conditioning the wood meal after applying the booster to the wood meal.
37. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the steps further comprise preparing the wood for pellet formation after applying the booster to the wood, where preparing the wood for pellet formation comprises one or more of the following:
processing wood chips to wood meal;
grinding wood meal to a desired size distribution; and/or
conditioning wood meal.
38. The wood pellet of claim 22 where forming the wood into wood pellets comprises placing the wood into a pelletizing mill, forcing the wood into a die, and compressing the wood into wood pellets.
39. The wood pellet of claim 22 where applying the booster to the wood comprises spraying the booster onto the wood.
40. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the application of the booster does not result in decreased quality of the wood pellets compared wood pellets formed from wood without the booster.
41. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the booster does not increase the elasticity of the wood pellets.
42. The wood pellet of claim 22 where the booster does not function as a binder within the wood pellets.