It is difficult to deny that compressed sawdust briquettes are one of the most effective types successfully used for heating residential buildings. They have a high calorie content (about 5 kW is released from 1 kg when burned) and have a low ash content. Such briquettes are very convenient to store and stack, as they fold compactly and do not take up much space.

True, such fuel cannot be considered cheap: not every family can afford to heat their home with wood throughout the entire season. This raises a reasonable question: is it somehow possible to make wonderful fuel briquettes with your own hands. This is especially true in cases where the raw materials can be purchased almost at a bargain price. Fortunately, such techniques exist, and they may differ from each other. Let's look at some of them.

To get a clear understanding of how to make it yourself, you first need to know how they are made in a factory.

Raw materials

Any of the available methods is preceded by a preparatory stage, during which the raw materials are crushed and dried.

The raw materials are sawdust and some larger parts of wood processing waste. Drying is carried out until humidity levels approach 8-10 percent. Interestingly, all kinds of agro-industrial waste (for example, husks or seed husks) and coal dust can also be used as raw materials for Eurofirewood.

Briquetting

Next manufacturing process– this is sawdust pressing, or briquetting. Today this can be done in two different ways:

1. Extrusion method;
2. Forming briquettes on a special hydraulic press.

In both cases, as a result of powerful compression of crushed wood, lignin, a special natural substance, begins to be released from it. It is this that becomes the binding composition for the crumbly mass of raw materials. The only difference between the processes is various methods squeezing. In one case, a hydraulic press is used, capable of developing a force of up to 300-600 Bar.

The force of this compression heats the shredded wood, and this contributes to the formation of a solid rectangular briquette.

With another method, extrusion, wood raw materials are poured into a special hopper of the unit, and, by analogy with a meat grinder, it is moved by a screw into a conical working channel, which narrows. It is there that the compression takes place, during which the screw press develops an incredibly powerful force of up to one thousand bar.

When ready, firewood made from sawdust comes out of the extruder in the form of hexagons. Before that they pass heat treatment, and are cut with a special knife to exact dimensions.

Fuel briquettes at home

It is completely unrealistic to imagine a situation where someone decides to purchase such a powerful unit capable of pressing briquettes at home. Even if finances allow this to be done, and the raw materials will be obtained for free, the purchase will only be recouped if the produced fuel is sold on a large scale.

In other words, it is clear that it will not be possible to implement the traditional method, which would release lignin, at home. But numerous home craftsmen, through trial and error, learned to use other binding materials.

Raw materials and preparation

• corrugated cardboard, paper;
• the cheapest, for example, wallpaper;
• clay.

To make fuel briquettes at home, it is not at all necessary to purchase expensive pressing and drying equipment. At home, things are done differently.

Savvy homeowners have gotten the hang of pressing heating briquettes from a variety of available materials that can burn:

• from ,
• leaves,
• straw,
• cardboard,
• seed husks and other things.

• Sawdust is placed in water, clay is added there in a ratio of 1 to 10, stirred well, then inexpensive wallpaper glue or soaked cardboard is added to the composition.
• The mixture obtained in this way is placed in a homemade pressing mold, and squeezed as hard as possible using hand force.
• The formed rectangles are taken out of the mold and laid out to dry outside, naturally.

Manual screw mechanism

The simplest press for the production of fuel bars, which you can make yourself, has a manual drive.

The design of this mechanism is extremely simple. But the productivity of such a screw device is low - this explains their low popularity.

A special molding container with holes is filled with the finished mixture, the screw is tightened tightly, creating increased pressure.

When using them, a lot of time is spent filling the container, twisting the mold and removing the formed briquette.

Brick ejection mechanism

It is much easier and much faster to extrude molded briquettes on another press. It is also homemade, but features a long lever and a special device for pushing out the brick. To speed up the process, some people weld not one mold, but a pair, to the frame.

Some craftsmen are capable of producing other, more advanced equipment. How to increase the productivity of a manual machine? By installing a hydraulic jack instead of a manual drive. Of course, to produce such a unit you will have to put in a lot of effort, but the result deserves it.

Note! It will not be possible to create a pressure reaching at least 300 Bar in a homemade press even with the help of a hydraulic jack. It is unlikely that it will be possible to reproduce the factory technology at home without adding water.

Screw press

However, some craftsmen, despite difficulties with parts, managed to produce a screw press. With its help it is possible to make heating bricks quite High Quality.

Craftsmen write about this on forums, but at the same time they note the rather high costs of a body made of high strength steel and manufacturing of screw parts. Of course, in this case you cannot do without an electric drive. A motor of at least 7 kW power will be required.

Fuel briquettes at home - pros and cons

The reasons for the attractiveness of this type of fuel are quite clear.

If a person has the opportunity to purchase cheap sawdust, or if he suddenly owns a small wood production facility, then it is quite natural to want to make briquettes on his own.

Why not burn the wood waste itself?

• The fact is that not every technique is capable of burning sawdust directly.
• Typically, wood chips burn very quickly and ineffectively, and some of it falls into the ash pan.

Special equipment

To effectively burn small wood waste, you will need a special top-burning or shaft-type boiler.

• It is almost impossible to make one yourself; the prospect of pressing waste into briquettes looks much more realistic. Although here everything is not as simple as it seems;
• Purchasing factory equipment is unreasonably expensive, and few people can afford it;
• It's cheaper to buy it yourself
• Of course, a briquetting press can be made by hand. But the resulting fuel will be of low quality, and their heat transfer will not be that high.

Why is heat transfer low?

The fact is that it is virtually impossible to reproduce the factory technology, observing all the nuances, at home:

• The resulting “” have low density and, accordingly, low weight.
• The specific heat of their combustion is almost three times less than that of wood.
• Consequently, for the same heating you will need three times more homemade briquettes.
• The process of making them takes a lot of time and effort. Although, if they exist, why not?
• By the way, such fuel should be stored carefully so that it does not become saturated with moisture.

Fuel briquettes with your own hands - yes or no?

Of course, it is possible to make real fuel briquettes using homemade equipment.

The main thing is to have enough time for this, as well as free space for drying and storing products.

The availability of sawdust plays an important role: it is desirable that they do not have to be expensively purchased or delivered from afar. In this case, the idea would not make sense at all - it would be much more effective to purchase a large truck of firewood.

Be that as it may, it is up to the owner to decide.

It cannot be denied that sawdust briquettes are one of the most effective types solid fuel, used for heating the house. They are high in calories (heat output is about 5 kW per 1 kg when burned), have a low ash content, and are also easy to store because they take up little space. But this fuel certainly cannot be called cheap; not everyone can afford to heat a boiler or stove with European wood throughout the entire season.

This is where many homeowners become interested - is it possible to somehow make fuel briquettes with your own hands? Especially when there are raw materials for this at a meager price. The solution to this issue is precisely the topic of this article. It will consider various technologies production of briquettes from sawdust and other types of raw materials in production and at home. As a result, it will become clear under what circumstances it makes sense to take on this matter.

Methods for making briquettes

To get an idea of ​​how you can make fuel briquettes with your own hands, you must first study how they are produced in a factory. The preparatory stage for any technology is the same and consists of grinding and drying the raw materials. These are, of course, sawdust and larger wood waste, which are processed to make briquettes. Then the raw material is dried in order to bring its humidity to no more than 8-10%.

For reference. Also, various agro-industrial wastes (husks, seed husks) and even coal dust can serve as the starting material for the production of Euro-firewood.

1. Forming briquettes from sawdust on a hydraulic press.
2. Production by extrusion method.

It must be said that with both technologies the result is achieved due to strong compression of wood raw materials, as a result of which a natural component - lignin - begins to be released from it. It serves as a binder for this crumbly mass; no other is provided. The only difference is in the compression method; in the first case, a hydraulic press for briquettes is used, developing a force of 300-600 Bar.

Due to such compression, the raw material spontaneously heats up, which only contributes to the formation of a strong rectangular “brick”. How a briquetting line with a hydraulic press functions is shown in the video:

The extrusion method for producing briquettes from sawdust can be easily understood using the example of an ordinary home meat grinder or juicer. Raw materials are loaded into the receiving hopper of the unit and moved by a screw into a tapering working channel conical shape. There it is compressed, while the screw press for briquettes develops a monstrous force - up to 1000 Bar.

The output is firewood from sawdust in the form of a hexagon, which undergoes additional heat treatment and is cut to one size with a special knife. The sectional structure of a screw press for sawdust is shown in the drawing:

Making at home

It is clear that purchasing such powerful equipment to press briquettes at home is a fool’s errand. Even if you have the funds and free raw materials, you will be able to recoup its cost only if you press firewood from sawdust for sale. This means that it will not be possible to maintain traditional technology for lignin extraction.

Instead, home craftsmen have adapted to using different binders to form “bricks,” for example:

• wallpaper or other cheapest glue;
• clay;
• paper, corrugated cardboard.

In order not to buy expensive drying and pressing equipment, fuel briquettes are made at home as follows. Sawdust is soaked in water and thoroughly mixed with clay in a ratio of 1:10, or soaked cardboard or wallpaper glue is added. The resulting mixture for making briquettes is placed in the form of a homemade manual sawdust press and compressed by hand. Then the “brick” is removed from the mold and placed to dry naturally, outside.

For reference. Using this technology, savvy owners press briquettes from any available materials that can burn: straw, paper, cardboard, leaves, seed husks, and so on.

Equipment for the production of

The simplest press for making fuel briquettes, made by yourself, has a manual screw drive. A molding container with perforations is filled with the mixture and placed under the bed; pressure is created by tightening the screw. The design is very simple and there is no point in talking about it in detail, just look at the drawing.

Such screw machines for pressing briquettes from sawdust are not very popular due to their low productivity. It takes too much time to load the container, tighten the screw and remove the finished product. It is much faster and easier to squeeze out “bricks” using a homemade press with a long lever and a mechanism for pushing the briquettes out. To speed up the process, you can weld 2 molds to the frame instead of one.

Some craftsmen can boast of more advanced mechanized equipment. Indeed, a manual machine can be improved and briquette productivity can be increased by installing a hydraulic jack instead of a manual drive. To assemble such a unit, you will have to tinker a lot, but the result will be much better.

Note. Even using a hydraulic jack in a homemade press, it will still not be possible to create a pressure of at least 300 bar. Therefore, it will still not be possible to reproduce the factory technology without adding water and binders.

Despite great difficulties in manufacturing the parts, some of the craftsmen managed to assemble a screw press and obtain briquettes of fairly decent quality. This is evidenced by the reviews of such people on the forums. But they all note high costs for the production of screw parts and housing made of high quality steel. Again, you can’t do without an electric drive; at the most conservative estimate, a motor with a power of at least 7 kW is required.

Homemade briquettes - pros and cons

Reasons why this type fuel is very attractive, understandable. When a person has his own wood production or the opportunity to cheaply buy sawdust for briquettes, then thoughts about making them at home are quite natural. The fact is that not every heating equipment is suitable for burning sawdust. As a rule, fine wood in a conventional stove or boiler burns quickly and gives off little heat, and even half will spill into the ash pan.

To successfully burn wood waste, you need a special shaft-type boiler or. It’s quite difficult to make this; the prospect of pressing sawdust into fuel briquettes seems much brighter.

It turns out that not everything is so simple here either, and here’s why:

1. Buying factory drying and pressing equipment is an unreasonably expensive undertaking. It is cheaper to purchase ready-made European firewood.
2. You can make a briquette press yourself and make them in an artisanal way. But the products will be of low quality and will provide little heat, and will take a lot of time.

Point two requires clarification. Due to the impossibility of following the technology, the “bricks” after drying are light due to their low density. Their specific heat of combustion is three times lower than that of wood, which means that for heating they will need three times as much. The whole process will take a lot of time and consume a lot of energy. And it is very difficult to store such a volume of fuel so that it does not accumulate moisture.

Educational video for enthusiasts who want to start manual briquetting of various household waste:

Conclusion

In principle, it is possible to make fuel briquettes with your own hands using homemade equipment. But for this you need to have enough free time and space for drying and storing fuel. It is also important that sawdust does not have to be transported from afar or purchased expensively. In this situation, the event generally loses all meaning; it would be better to buy a truckload of firewood. The choice is yours, dear homeowners.

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

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

The physical properties of briquettes fully correspond to wood, since it is part of their composition. But there are certain differences in characteristics.

The main problem with simple firewood is the increased humidity and ash content. When any type of wood is burned, it remains a certain amount of minerals. 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 its preparation, transportation or storage. These impurities can be included in the composition with a 15% content. Briquettes are completely free of this “unnecessary” component.

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

We can summarize the results with a small table of briquette characteristics:

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

Advantages:

• High calorific value.
• During the combustion process, no a large number of CO2 is several orders of magnitude lower than that of coal or gas.
• Minimal formation of ash, which can subsequently be used as mineral fertilizer.
• Convenient form for storage.
• Higher density compared to conventional wood. This allows you to obtain a sufficient amount of heat with smaller briquette sizes.

Flaws:

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

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; they are often called Euro firewood.

Some types have a longitudinal hole. Its presence indicates the method of production. The prepared and dried raw materials are poured into a container, the neck of which leads to a screw, which is located in the pipe. The screw transports the wood pulp to the pressing zone, where it is dosed into a cylindrical pressing mold. Next, ready-made briquette forms are formed under a pressure of 500-600 bar.

The advantage of this technology is the minimal equipment of the production line and high productivity.

Geometric dimensions:

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

Rectangular

Another name is firmly attached to this type of briquettes – RUF. It was borrowed from the manufacturer of pressing equipment - German company Ruf.

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

Geometric dimensions – 65*95*150 mm.

Multifaceted

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

Their shape can be 4- 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 press pressure – up to 1100 bar. This increases the density of the product and, accordingly, its combustion efficiency.

During the heating season, each owner chooses for himself best view fuel to heat living spaces. IN last years Fuel briquettes are gaining popularity. Reviews from customers and experts will help you understand what advantages and disadvantages the presented alternative type of fuel has. 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, Euro-firewood. Also, knowing what questions to pay attention to first when purchasing, you can choose high-quality, efficient briquettes.

General concept

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

Thus, there are fuel briquettes made from sunflower (reviews from experts and buyers will be presented below), sawdust, tyrsa, buckwheat or rice husks, etc. Peat, straw, and herbaceous plants can be used for the same purposes. This is quite beneficial for owners of farms and agricultural enterprises. The amount of waste is reduced, and it is possible 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 make a profit from the sale of European firewood.

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

Advantages of briquettes

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

Wood moisture content is about 15%. When producing briquettes, the material is heavily dried. The result is a product made from the same wood, for example, but with a moisture content of 4 to 8%. It is this factor that causes the combustion temperature of the material to increase.

The second important reason why a similar effect is observed is the high density of Euro-firewood. It is 0.9-1.3 g/cm3. Ordinary wood has a density of 0.4-0.8 g/cm 3 . This means that the substance that undergoes combustion will be larger by the same volume. These reasons determine the high calorific value of Eurowood.

Consumer Reviews

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

First of all, their compactness is noted. You won't need to allocate a lot of space for storage.

Fuel briquettes do not harm the environment. Euro firewood, reviews of which are provided by consumers, is made from natural materials using pressing. They do not contain glue or other auxiliary substances. And due to low humidity, less soot is released during combustion. This allows you to clean the chimney much less frequently, which is a definite advantage. Also, servicing of heating equipment will not be possible as often as before. The cost of this fuel is much lower, since it is made from waste. Agricultural and wood processing enterprises can process their own raw materials at the production site.

Flaws

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

Briquettes may become damp if left outside or in a damp area. The combustion temperature is greatly reduced. Euro-firewood should be stored in a warm, ventilated area.

Some buyers talk about fuel briquettes in a negative way. They claim that these are low-quality products that can fall apart and not provide enough heat. However, this only happens if the production technology is violated. Some unscrupulous manufacturers may add low-quality wood to the processed material. This causes problems when using such products.

Types of briquettes

There are several classifications by which fuel briquettes are divided. Reviews from experts and consumers will help you understand the difference between these types.

First of all, Euro firewood is distinguished by the type of equipment used for pressing. In accordance with this factor, the main forms are determined finished products. Hydraulic presses were initially used by RUF and Nestro, and mechanical impact machines by C. F. Nielsen. Extruder technologies are used in Pini-kay briquetters. Therefore, consumers usually call round Euro firewood “Nilson” or “nestro”, and products in the form of receivers are called “roof”. Piney-kei briquettes have the shape of an irregular polygon with a hole in the center. Euro-firewood is also distinguished according to the material used as the basis for production.

Round Euro firewood

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

Products with diameters from 50 to 90 mm and lengths from 50 to 350 mm are on sale. Dry shredded wood, as well as other agricultural waste, are used for their production.

Nowadays, equipment for creating round briquettes creates great amount enterprises. It varies greatly in quality. When purchasing, you should pay attention to appearance products. High-quality European firewood must have a diameter of at least 80 mm. Their length ranges from 250 to 350 mm.

If the briquette is thin and short, it was pressed at an insufficiently high pressure. The calorific value is lower due to insufficient density. Therefore, when purchasing, you should give preference to thick and long European firewood. If, given these dimensions, they do not crumble, it means that the density of the briquette meets modern requirements.

Briquettes "roof"

Euro firewood is brick-shaped and produced on RUF-type equipment. Their dimensions are 65 x 95 x 150 mm.

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

The name RUF comes from a 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 materials for production are also shredded wood and other waste. When purchasing “roof” briquettes, you need to pay attention to what material they are made from. In our country, the possibility of creating this type of Euro-firewood from birch dust - waste from plywood factories - cannot be ruled out. In this case, in addition to wood, the product may contain various chemicals, for example, 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 purchasing. This product has a fine-grained structure. It is also distinguished by its 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"

Premium fuel is European pini-kei firewood. Their name comes from the Austrian company Pini&Kay, which today has ceased to exist. However, its technology is still actively used by many manufacturers.

Pini-kei fuel briquettes have the shape of an irregular polygon. Reviews about this product are only positive. The hole in the center allows you to increase the burning area, which is why the flame looks 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. Products with a diameter of 50-80 mm and a length of 200-300 mm are on sale. Their cost is higher than that of other types of Euro-firewood. But in terms of performance, pini-keys are significantly superior to other similar products.

Material

The material from which Euro firewood is made may vary. The maximum combustion temperature and other factors depend on this performance products. For example, “roof” 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 determined. Fuel briquettes made from sunflower husks have the highest energy productivity. Expert reviews make it clear that they contain oils. This significantly clogs the equipment during operation. However, due to the good calorific value in Lately This fuel is gaining popularity.

The next energy-efficient raw material is dense wood (for example, oak). But it should also be noted that straw bars, the density of which is 1.08 g/cm 3 , and compacted tyrsa, 1.37 g/cm 3, have a greater calorific value when burning. Only after these materials comes softwood.

Rice husks have the lowest thermal efficiency. A few words should also be said about peat briquettes. They are used only under certain conditions industrial production. This material contains a certain amount of harmful, toxic substances. Therefore, such briquettes can only be used using special technology. When such products burn, a special ventilation system is installed.

Recently, it has become fashionable to use not only traditional fuel in the form of firewood for lighting stoves, but also other alternative options. For example, natural materials compressed at high temperatures are becoming increasingly popular: sawdust, peat, straw, etc. Made from biological waste, 100% natural and environmentally friendly, fuel briquettes allow you to efficiently and inexpensively fuel your home or bathhouse.

In this article we will talk about how to make fuel briquettes with your own hands from scrap materials. To do this, you will need to buy or make suitable equipment for processing waste and learn how to properly make Euro firewood. 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 firewood.

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, grills, barbecues. Eurobriquettes are cylindrical blanks resembling firewood or rectangular bricks. Small dimensions allow them to be placed in fireboxes of any size.

What are briquettes made from? 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 eurobriquettes can vary significantly, depending on what technology is used in production.

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

A home-made eurobriquette can be used to light a sauna stove or heat a home. 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 heat your barbecue with eco-wood and fry food on it, if fat gets on the briquettes, it will not ignite.

Warehouse of ready-made handicraft e-briquettes

For stoves, boilers and fireplaces that burn solid fuel, sawdust briquettes are an excellent option. They flare up slowly, but then burn 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 from the combustion of even the driest firewood, which took at least a year to burn.