Wood waste processing technologies: from chips to lignin
Wood waste processing is one of the key challenges for enterprises in the forest industry. About 40% of wood arriving at wood processing plants remains in the form of waste: slabs, sawdust, cuttings, bark, end cuts. Their accumulation not only creates environmental risks, but also takes up significant areas, becoming a problem for enterprises. However, modern technologies make it possible to use waste with benefit.
The main methods of wood waste processing:
- Biological. Waste is mixed with biocomponents, obtaining, for example, fodder protein yeast.
- Mechanical. Wood is crushed for further use as fuel, fertilizers, construction or finishing materials.
- Chemical. The method includes pyrolysis, hydrolysis and gasification, allowing to obtain fuel, wood alcohol, paper and other products.
The most popular are mechanical and chemical processing due to high efficiency and variety of final products.
What is made from wood waste?
Most often, waste is used to make fuel - pellets and briquettes, the calorific value of which is higher than that of ordinary wood. They are used both for heating and for generating electricity. For example, installing a steam mini-CHP allows not only to get rid of waste, but also to provide the enterprise with electricity.
In addition, chips, sawdust and shavings are used in the production of wood boards - fiberboard, chipboard, MDF and OSB, which are in demand in the construction and furniture industries. And chemical recycling of waste at pulp and paper mills allows us to obtain fibrous semi-finished products for the production of paper and cardboard.
New developments in recycling
Scientists continue to look for new ways to utilize waste. Thus, the Northern Arctic Federal University has developed a technology for recycling lignin, a by-product of wood processing. It can be used to produce biofuels, biodegradable adhesives, resins, and even graphene.
Other researchers suggest converting large birch sawdust into semi-cellulose for the paper industry, reducing wood consumption and reducing the burden on forest resources.
Efficient use of wood waste opens up new economic and environmental prospects for enterprises, helping to move to the principles of a closed economy and minimize the impact on the environment.
We tell you more about all the latest inventions, achievements in the field of chemistry, biology, industry, and other areas in our #scientificnoveltiesforest industry section.
