Wood flour: production technology

Wastes from industries that produce wood products are widely used in a wide variety of areas. In the shredded form, they found application in construction, industry and agriculture. At the same time, materials obtained as a result of processing other products are not always used. Thus, wood flour is purposefully produced for subsequent application to specific needs. Another thing is that as a raw material for its manufacture, waste from factories and combines is often used. To date, natural raw materials are not the only and non-alternative source for building materials. However, due to the low price and satisfactory performance, crushed wood is more profitable for use for such purposes than the currently popular fiberglass products and composites.

What is woody flour?

In essence, it is a powder that is produced by grinding sawdust. Conventional flour of this type has a fraction of the order of several microns, but in some industries a size is used that allows to screen out particles through cells with a diameter of 1.23 mm. The color of flour can be different depending on the type of wood from which it was made. As a rule, chestnut and light-amber wood flour is produced. The photo below also shows an example of light flour obtained from coniferous species of wood.

With regard to the operational properties of this material, it easily absorbs moisture, can be easily packaged into any container, and also does not undergo chemical changes, so that the flour can be considered as a natural compound.

Raw materials for production

The basis for the production of wood flour can be a huge range of materials. One of the main requirements to it is naturalness. That is, if in the processing industry the products are treated with chemical compounds with protective functions, then the waste from it can not be used for making flour. Fractions and shapes can be different - for use are suitable sawdust, shavings, lump waste wood processing and chips. The more fresh raw materials, the better will be wood flour.

The use of the final product is also determined by the raw materials used. So, for electrode cellulose, the performance characteristics of flour are not so important, which can not be said about the requirements for components for mortars, mastics and putties.

Manufacturing technology

The process of production of wood flour is part of a group of technological methods for processing plant raw materials. The whole procedure involves the implementation of several stages, the basis of which is the process of preparation, mechanical processing, screening and drying. First of all, a raw material base is created, which is sent to the processing plant. Here, wood pulp is directly formed from chips or other waste. The technology of production, in particular, involves the grinding of raw materials by means of a hammer, knife, finger or rotary mechanism. The choice of this or that manufacturing method is determined by the initial characteristics of the base material and the requirements for the resulting product.

Equipment for the production of

The most popular in the production of wood flour hammer crushers, which are related to impact machines. The process of destruction of the structure of the material is realized in the space between the rotor and the sieve-calibrator, from which the wood meal with a certain fraction is produced. Most often, this principle of grinding is used in enterprises that set the goal of obtaining coarse grinding from mineral raw materials. However, it is rather difficult to create a disperse powder in this way.

To handle the fibrous and elastic structure of wood in an appropriate way, an aggregate working according to the principle of dynamic self-grinding allows. In this case, dense air flows literally squeeze the particles, resulting in the formation of wood flour. Production by this method is advantageous in that after the completion of the work process there is no need for additional measures for cleaning, washing and drying the powder material.

Application of wood flour

The material we are considering is used in various fields. As an additive, wood meal has found application in drilling fluids and oil wells for oil production. As a basis it is used in the production of wood-polymer composites. In the construction of flour make dry mixes and trowels. A separate category is puttying agents, in which this component is introduced as a filler.

It has already been noted that wood flour is also used in agriculture. Application in this area is associated with improved soil fertility. Also, flour is used as a means for warming plants - in essence, the same mulching base is obtained.

Conclusion

Today, there are no clear standards for the production of flour from wood raw materials. It can be a powder, and a large fraction mass, which is used for thermal insulation. At the same time, wood meal is quite suitable for self-production. In addition to high-tech production units for pulverizing wood pulp, manufacturers also offer small, compact devices. With the help of such a device it is possible to prepare the basis for mulching, preparation of putty mixture, and also to organize the draining filter. After all, do not forget that the wood absorbs moisture well. This quality can be useful if a septic or sewer system is planned on the site. However, for one-time use of wood flour, it may not make sense to purchase a special chip shredder.