What are heating briquettes made of? Everything about fuel briquettes: types, the better firewood, advantages and disadvantages, recommendations for choosing. Advantages of briquettes in comparison with firewood

1. Raw materials for briquettes
2. Briquette types
3. Fuel briquettes or firewood - which is better and more economical?
4. Burning period
5. Selection rules

Most people know about fuel briquettes only that they can compete with traditional firewood or coal. What is a modern solid fuel material? What is really better: fuel briquettes or wood?

Solid fuel, known as eurofirewood, is produced industrially, so each individual element has the same size and regular shape. Briquettes can be burned in all types of solid fuel furnaces, including stoves, fireplaces and heating boilers.

In the production of heating briquettes, waste is used that is generated at the enterprises of the woodworking industry. They are formed from the husks of cereal plants, straw or peat. To obtain the desired material, small particles are pressed under high pressure and dried at high temperatures. This method allows you to completely abandon the adhesive compositions and other binding components. The densely formed mass does not emit toxic substances when burned, so the fuel is absolutely safe for people and animals.

The main advantages of the material and its disadvantages

The main advantage of pressed briquettes is a high level of heat transfer during combustion, almost twice as high as that of firewood. At a standard level of 20%, firewood gives 2500-2700 kcal / kg of heat, sawdust briquettes - 4500-4900 kcal / kg. The explanation is simple: heat transfer directly depends on the amount of moisture, and for eurofirewood that has undergone thermal drying, it does not exceed 8%.

The briquette has a higher density. For example, oak burns much longer than birch, since oak firewood contains more combustible matter per cubic centimeter (0.81 g / cm 3) than birch, and therefore the increased burning time. The density of a briquette is even higher and equals 0.95–1 g/cm 3 .

Other benefits include:

• compact size, simplifying the task of storage;
• uniform combustion and high calorific value;
• low soot emission due to low moisture content;
• ecological purity of raw materials.

Wood fuel briquettes have disadvantages, which are very conditional. Compressed firewood is more expensive than ordinary lumber, but you need to take into account the cost per unit of heat, which is clearly not in favor of ordinary firewood. Briquettes are afraid of moisture, which destroys their structure, but wood should not be stored in a humid environment.. A significant drawback is that it is impossible to determine the quality and composition of fuel briquettes by eye.

Briquette types

There are several varieties of Eurowood. It depends on the shape and composition of the product. Manufacturers distinguish three main forms of products:

1. Pini-kay (pini-kay). Such eurofirewood has a maximum density (1.08–1.40 g / cm 3). They are made in square or hexagonal briquettes with holes inside for air circulation and better combustion.
2. Nestro. They have a cylindrical shape and are distinguished by an average density (1–1.15 g / cm 3).
3. Ruf (ruf). Such briquettes are produced from sawdust in bricks of low density (0.75–0.8 g / cm 3) and compact sizes.

Table 1: Prices for eurofirewood RUF and Pini cay

In addition to differences in shape and density, Eurowood differs in its constituent components that directly affect the ash content, the amount of soot produced, the calorific value and the degree of combustion. For example, peat products cannot be used to heat home fires due to the high ash content and harmful fractions in their composition. Such material is intended exclusively for industrial needs. The table shows the types of fuel briquettes with comparative characteristics products from different raw materials. The data in the table are collected on the basis of test reports obtained empirically.

Table decoding for each material

1. Seeds. Due to the low ash content and the content of vegetable oil with high energy value, pressed material of this type shows the best calorific value (5151 kcal / kg), however, such samples emit more soot, which will lead to chimney pollution.
2. Wood. At a moisture content of 4%, pressed sawdust takes an honorable second place in terms of calorie content with an indicator of 5043 kcal / kg, only slightly inferior to the previous sample from seed husks. If the humidity of wood briquettes for heating rises to 10%, the calorific value drops to 4340 kcal/kg.
3. Straw. Straw briquettes take the third place in terms of efficiency after seeds and wood, but they have excellent heat transfer rates (4740 kcal/kg). Ash content is high.
4. Tyrsa (grass). Production is based on the use of perennial plants. With a sufficiently low ash content, the heat transfer of a briquette is 4400 kcal/kg, which is very good.
5. Rice. High ash content and low heat transfer (3458 kcal/kg).

Two samples made from the same raw material may have different ash content and moisture content, as is the case with straw briquettes. Ash consists of minerals with a low energy value, and if there are too many of them in the fuel, then one should not expect long burning and high heat transfer from it.

Different ash content in briquettes identical in composition indicates different production processes and the original quality of raw materials. If the manufacturer did not clean the straw from dust and dirt or deliberately added foliage to increase the volume finished products, then such a fuel material at the output will be of low quality. And it doesn’t matter if it contains wood, seed husks or tyrsa. The same applies to the humidity of the product, on which the heat transfer of eurofirewood depends: the higher it is, the worse the room will be heated.

Briquettes or firewood: which is better and more economical?

In fuel, weight and price are not as important as the cost of a unit of heat - one cannot do without calculations. One cubic meter of firewood on average weighs about 550 kg. With the same volume, briquettes for furnaces weigh a ton and cost more than three times more. It would seem that it is very profitable to heat a stove or fireplace with ordinary wood, because it costs much less, but this is not entirely true. A cubic meter of wood is inferior in the amount of real fuel to briquettes by almost half. If we evaluate the watt of heat received from each of these samples, then the difference will be a penny, which means that their efficiency is almost the same.

We must not forget about quality. If the wood is too wet, it weighs more, but its efficiency is less.. And for storing large-sized firewood, you need a lot of space, not to mention the cost of shipping.

Burning period

Most people living in villages know how to properly fire a stove. The burning time of any of the materials, whether it is firewood, ordinary coal or a briquette, depends on the same factors: traction force and ignition method. With excessive air supply to the furnace due to untimely closing of the draft damper, the fuel will burn out very quickly. If you correctly melt eurofirewood, stacking them correctly in the oven and supplying a minimum of oxygen, then due to the low moisture content and high density, they will burn longer.

Selection rules

It is better to give preference to firewood in briquettes, consisting of sawdust. They give off heat well, and such material burns for a long time.

Briquettes for stoves, made from cereal husks, have good calorific value, but due to the oil content, they quickly pollute the chimney with soot, which may require frequent cleaning. The same applies to resinous coniferous wood, from which it is better not to buy fuel briquettes for a bath, stove or fireplace.

When buying, it is advisable to look at the seller's documents for the goods. They contain information about the data of the test report with a detailed description of the product. Choose a good wood material with maximum density.

If you plan to carry out heating with briquettes and need a large batch of goods, take them for a test in a small amount. At home, you can check how hard the briquette is, whether it crumbles from excessive moisture. Evaluate the heat so that in the future you do not have to regret an unsuccessful purchase.

The search for an alternative type of fuel sometimes leads to unexpected results. And it all started with wood - the mother of all modern coolants. And it would seem that she was finally lost against the backdrop of cheap gas, efficient diesel fuel or exotic. But the time has come to take a fresh look at the tree and the reason for this was the emergence of a new product - a fuel briquette, or, as they are also called, eurowood.

They are a compressed mass, consisting in most cases of wood waste (sawdust, shavings, etc.). Briquettes may differ in composition, shape and method of production. But regardless of these parameters, they all have certain physical properties.

The physical properties of the briquettes fully correspond to the tree, since it is it that is included in their composition. But there are certain performance differences.

The main problem of simple firewood is an increased moisture content and ash content. When any type of wood is burned, a certain amount of minerals remains. For many breeds, this parameter ranges from 1.2 to 3% of the total mass. At the same time, due to primary processing raw materials before the production of briquettes, the ash content can be reduced to 0.7%.

There is also the so-called external ash - mineral substances that got into the firewood during their harvesting, transportation or storage. These impurities can be included in the composition with 15% content. Briquettes are completely free from this "unnecessary" component.

The calorific value (transfer of internal energy to the environment) for firewood has a maximum value of 3000 kcal / kg. For briquettes, this value ranges from 4400 to 5200 kcal/kg.

You can sum it up with a small table of characteristics of briquettes:

Knowing these data, you can professionally choose one or another type of briquette fuel. But before that, it is worth considering their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

• High calorific value.
• During combustion, a small amount of CO2 is released - several orders of magnitude lower than that of coal or gas.
• Minimal ash formation, which can later be used as a mineral fertilizer.
• Convenient form for storage.
• Higher density compared to conventional wood. This allows you to get enough heat with smaller briquettes.

Flaws:

• Briquettes are more expensive than regular firewood. But their efficiency is much higher.
• Organization special place storage.

There are several types of this fuel, each of which differs in the degree of processing and form.

Cylindrical

In most cases, this is pressed wood pulp of a cylindrical shape, it is they who are often called eurofirewood.

In some species there is a longitudinal hole. Its presence indicates the method of production. Prepared and dried raw materials are poured into a container, the neck of which leads to the screw, which is located in the pipe. The auger transports the wood pulp to the pressing zone, where it enters the cylindrical pressing mold in dosed portions. Further, under a pressure of 500-600 bar, ready-made briquette forms are formed.

The advantage of this technology is the minimum configuration of the production line and high productivity.

Geometric dimensions:

• Diameter: 60-90 mm.
• Length: from 50 to 350 mm.

Rectangular

This type of briquettes is firmly entrenched in another name - RUF. It was borrowed from the manufacturer of press equipment - the German company Ruf.

They have a rectangular shape and are easy to store. In their production, no special additives are used, only pure sawdust. Equipment for this form of briquettes is supplied by several European companies. And despite its low price, the quality of products almost always remains at a high level.

Geometric dimensions - 65 * 95 * 150 mm.

multifaceted

The main problem of the above products is the fear of moisture. To solve this problem, special equipment was developed that allows not only pressing, but also producing external heat treatment briquettes.

Their shape can be 4-sided or 6-sided. As a result of exposure to temperature, the surface acquires a dark brown color and a protective moisture-resistant layer is formed. Another feature is the high pressure of the press - up to 1100 bar. This increases the density of the product and, accordingly, its efficiency during combustion.

The search for an alternative type of fuel sometimes leads to unexpected results. And it all started with wood - the mother of all modern coolants. And it would seem that she was finally lost against the backdrop of cheap gas, efficient diesel fuel or exotic. But the time has come to take a fresh look at the tree and the reason for this was the emergence of a new product - a fuel briquette, or, as they are also called, eurowood.

They are a compressed mass, consisting in most cases of wood waste (sawdust, shavings, etc.). Briquettes may differ in composition, shape and method of production. But regardless of these parameters, they all have certain physical properties.

The physical properties of the briquettes fully correspond to the tree, since it is it that is included in their composition. But there are certain performance differences.

The main problem of simple firewood is an increased moisture content and ash content. When any type of wood is burned, a certain amount of minerals remains. For many breeds, this parameter ranges from 1.2 to 3% of the total mass. At the same time, due to the primary processing of raw materials before the production of briquettes, the ash content can be reduced to 0.7%.

There is also the so-called external ash - mineral substances that got into the firewood during their harvesting, transportation or storage. These impurities can be included in the composition with 15% content. Briquettes are completely free from this "unnecessary" component.

The calorific value (transfer of internal energy to the environment) for firewood has a maximum value of 3000 kcal / kg. For briquettes, this value ranges from 4400 to 5200 kcal/kg.

You can sum it up with a small table of characteristics of briquettes:

Knowing these data, you can professionally choose one or another type of briquette fuel. But before that, it is worth considering their advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

• High calorific value.
• During combustion, a small amount of CO2 is released - several orders of magnitude lower than that of coal or gas.
• Minimal ash formation, which can later be used as a mineral fertilizer.
• Convenient form for storage.
• Higher density compared to conventional wood. This allows you to get enough heat with smaller briquettes.

Flaws:

• Briquettes are more expensive than regular firewood. But their efficiency is much higher.
• Organization of a special place of storage.

There are several types of this fuel, each of which differs in the degree of processing and form.

Cylindrical

In most cases, this is pressed wood pulp of a cylindrical shape, it is they who are often called eurofirewood.

In some species there is a longitudinal hole. Its presence indicates the method of production. Prepared and dried raw materials are poured into a container, the neck of which leads to the screw, which is located in the pipe. The auger transports the wood pulp to the pressing zone, where it enters the cylindrical pressing mold in dosed portions. Further, under a pressure of 500-600 bar, ready-made briquette forms are formed.

The advantage of this technology is the minimum configuration of the production line and high productivity.

Geometric dimensions:

• Diameter: 60-90 mm.
• Length: from 50 to 350 mm.

Rectangular

This type of briquettes is firmly entrenched in another name - RUF. It was borrowed from the manufacturer of press equipment - the German company Ruf.

They have a rectangular shape and are easy to store. In their production, no special additives are used, only pure sawdust. Equipment for this form of briquettes is supplied by several European companies. And despite its low price, the quality of products almost always remains at a high level.

Geometric dimensions - 65 * 95 * 150 mm.

multifaceted

The main problem of the above products is the fear of moisture. To solve this problem, special equipment was developed that allows not only pressing, but also performing external heat treatment of briquettes.

Their shape can be 4-sided or 6-sided. As a result of exposure to temperature, the surface acquires a dark brown color and a protective moisture-resistant layer is formed. Another feature is the high pressure of the press - up to 1100 bar. This increases the density of the product and, accordingly, its efficiency during combustion.

AT heating season each owner chooses for himself the best type of fuel to heat the living quarters. In recent years, fuel briquettes have been gaining popularity. Feedback from customers and experts will help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of the presented alternative fuel. It is used in stoves, fireplaces or boilers instead of the usual coal or firewood.

To date, many types of briquettes have been developed. To do right choice you need to know their differences. Experts in the field of heating equipment will help you understand this issue and give a number of recommendations. This will allow you not to get lost in the huge variety. existing species briquettes, or, as they are commonly called, eurofirewood. Also, knowing what questions to pay attention to when buying, you can choose high-quality, effective briquettes.

General concept

Fuel briquettes are made from waste from the agricultural and woodworking industries. The material is dried and pressed using special equipment.

So, there are fuel briquettes from sunflower (reviews of experts and buyers will be presented below), sawdust, tyrs, buckwheat or rice husks, etc. Peat, straw, herbaceous plants can be used for the same purposes. This is quite beneficial for the owners of farms, agricultural enterprises. The amount of waste is reduced, it turns out to use such raw materials as efficiently as possible.

Even if a particular enterprise or household does not use briquettes for their own consumption, they can profit from the sale of eurofirewood.

Fuel briquettes, reviews of which can be found in various sources, are an environmentally friendly product that does not harm human health.

Advantages of briquettes

Fuel briquettes have a lot of advantages. Reviews of consumers and experts make it clear that in addition to environmental friendliness, eurofirewood has a high calorific value. It is 2 times higher than that of ordinary wood. There are several explanations for this.

The moisture content of wood is about 15%. During the production of briquettes, the material dries out strongly. As a result, a product is obtained from the same, for example, wood, but with a moisture content of 4 to 8%. It is this factor that causes an increase in the combustion temperature of the material.

The second important reason due to which a similar effect is observed is the high density of eurofirewood. It is 0.9-1.3 g/cm 3 . In ordinary wood, the density is 0.4-0.8 g / cm 3. This means that the substance that undergoes combustion will be larger by the same volume. Specified reasons determine the high calorific value of eurofirewood.

Consumer reviews

In addition to technical advantages, there are many positive reviews about briquettes from consumers.

First of all, their compactness is noted. When storing, you do not need to allocate a lot of space.

Fuel briquettes do not harm the environment. Eurowood, reviews of which are presented by consumers, are made from natural materials by pressing. They do not contain glue, other auxiliary substances. And due to the low humidity, less soot is released during combustion. This allows you to clean the chimney much less often, which is a definite advantage. Also, maintenance of heating equipment can be carried out not as often as before. The cost of this fuel is much lower, as it is made from waste. Agricultural, woodworking enterprises can process their own raw materials at the place of production.

Flaws

Wood fuel briquettes, reviews of which are presented in the article, have several disadvantages. First of all, buyers note the high demands of such products on storage conditions.

The briquettes can become damp if left outside or in a damp room. The combustion temperature is greatly reduced. Eurowood should be stored in a warm, ventilated area.

Some buyers talk about fuel briquettes in a negative way. They claim that these are poor quality products that can crumble and not provide enough warmth. However, this happens only if the production technology is violated. Some unscrupulous manufacturers may add low-quality wood to the processed material. This causes trouble during the operation of such products.

Types of briquettes

There are several classifications according to which fuel briquettes are divided. Feedback from experts and consumers will help you understand the difference between these species.

First of all, eurofirewood is distinguished by the type of equipment with which the pressing took place. In accordance with this factor, the main forms of finished products are also determined. Hydraulic presses originally used by RUF and Nestro, and impact machines by C. F. Nielsen. Extruder technologies are used in Pini-kay briquettes. Therefore, it is customary for consumers to call round eurofirewood "nilsson" or "nestro", and products in the form of receivers - "ruf". The shape of an irregular polygon with a hole in the center has piney-kei briquettes. Eurowood is also distinguished by the material that was taken as the basis for production.

Round euro firewood

Fuel briquettes, reviews of which are different, quite often have a round shape. They are created using mechanical or hydraulic presses.

On sale are products with a diameter of 50 to 90 mm, and a length of 50 to 350 mm. For their production, dry chopped wood, as well as other agricultural waste, is used.

Nowadays, equipment for making round briquettes creates great amount enterprises. It differs greatly in quality. When buying, you should pay attention to the appearance of the products. High-quality eurofirewood in diameter should be at least 80 mm. Their length is in the range from 250 to 350 mm.

If the briquette is thin and short, it was pressed at insufficiently high pressure. The calorific value is lower due to insufficient density. Therefore, when buying, preference should be given to thick and long eurofirewood. If, with such dimensions, they do not crumble, then the density of the briquette meets modern requirements.

Briquettes "ruf"

The shape of a brick is eurofirewood, which is produced on equipment such as RUF. Their dimensions are 65 x 95 x 150 mm.

RUF fuel briquettes, reviews of which are left by buyers all over the world, differ good quality at an acceptable cost.

The name RUF comes from the German company that was the first to produce equipment of this type. Today these presses are produced by only a few European companies. Therefore, the quality of this type of briquettes is usually very high.

The raw material for production is also chopped wood and other waste. When buying ruf briquettes, you need to pay attention to what material they were made of. In our country, the possibility of creating this type of eurofirewood from birch dust - waste from plywood factories is not ruled out. In this case, in addition to wood, various chemical substances such as formaldehyde resin and glue. They are characterized by a certain toxicity and, when burned, can affect human health.

The appearance of birch dust briquettes is easy to recognize when buying. Such a product has a fine-grained structure. It also has a white color. Therefore, experts advise purchasing such fuel only from trusted manufacturers. It is also important to evaluate the appearance of the product.

Briquettes "pini-kay"

The premium class fuel is eurofirewood "pini-cay". Their name comes from the Austrian company Pini & Kay, which has already ceased to exist today. However, its technology is still actively used by many manufacturers.

The form of an irregular polygon is fuel briquettes "pini-kay". Reviews about this product are only positive. The hole in the center allows you to increase the burning area, which makes the flame look very impressive. This quality is important for fireplaces. The decorative effect will exceed all expectations.

The burnt top layer, which has a dark color, prevents the destruction of the briquette during storage. On sale are products with a diameter of 50-80 mm and a length of 200-300 mm. Their cost is higher than that of other varieties of eurofirewood. But in terms of their performance, "pini-kei" is significantly superior to other similar products.

Material

The material from which eurofirewood is made can be different. The limiting combustion temperature and other operational qualities of the product depend on this. For example, "ruf" fuel briquettes, reviews of which were discussed above, can emit different amounts of heat depending on the type of material being processed, its density and humidity.

Based on the research data, the calorie content of each variety was established. The highest energy productivity is distinguished by fuel briquettes from sunflower husks. Expert reviews make it clear that they contain oils. This significantly clogs the equipment during operation. However, due to its good calorific value, this particular fuel has recently gained popularity.

The next energy efficient raw material is dense wood (eg oak). But it should also be noted that straw bars, the density of which is 1.08 g/cm 3 , and tyrsa with pressing 1.37 g/cm 3 , have a higher calorific value during combustion. Only after these materials follows softwood.

Rice husk has the lowest thermal efficiency. A few words should also be said about peat briquettes. They are used only under certain conditions. industrial productions. The composition of this material includes a certain amount of harmful, toxic substances. Therefore, such briquettes can only be used using a special technology. When burning such products, a special ventilation system is equipped.

Recently, it has become fashionable to use not only traditional fuel in the form of firewood for kindling stoves, but also other, alternative options. For example, natural materials pressed under high temperature are becoming increasingly popular: sawdust, peat, straw, etc. Created from biological waste, 100% natural and environmentally friendly, fuel briquettes allow you to effectively and inexpensively drink a house, a bathhouse.

In this article we will talk about how to make fuel briquettes with your own hands from improvised materials. To do this, you need to buy or make suitable equipment for recycling waste and learn how to properly produce eurofirewood. Making fuel briquettes with your own hands will allow you to solve several problems at once:

• get rid of waste;
• obtain efficient and technologically advanced fuel for home heating;
• save money on wood.

Homemade fuel briquettes can be of any shape

Main advantages

Fuel briquettes are modern look alternative fuel. They can be used in any stoves, fireplaces, boilers, barbecues, barbecues. Eurobriquettes are cylindrical blanks resembling firewood, or rectangular bricks. Small dimensions allow to place them in furnaces of any size.

What are briquettes made of? Most often, wood is used (sawdust, shavings, dust), but straw, paper, peat, coal, seed or nut husks, and even manure are also used. The composition of the eurobriquette can vary significantly, depending on which technology is used in the production.

At the same time, all types of raw materials from which wood firewood can be produced are natural, absolutely natural. Making fuel briquettes at home will allow you to create an environmentally friendly product that will almost completely burn in the furnace and at the same time emit a minimum of smoke.

A home-made eurobriquette can be used to kindle a sauna stove or heat a house. Since the raw material is compressed quite strongly and the amount of moisture is minimal, the fuel briquette burns for a long time, constantly releasing a large amount of heat. An interesting point was noticed by people who are already actively using such fuel: if you melt your barbecue with eco-wood and fry food on it, it does not ignite if it gets on the briquettes of fat.

Warehouse for handicraft ready-made ecro-briquettes

For solid fuel stoves, boilers and fireplaces, sawdust briquettes are an excellent option. They slowly flare up, but after burning for a long time and emit a large amount of heat. This is explained by the high density of the pressed wood product. The heat transfer from briquettes significantly exceeds the level of heat obtained during the combustion of even the driest firewood, which took at least a year.