COMPARISON BETWEEN SPRUCE AND BEECH BRIQUETTES (AS RENEWABLE SOURCE OF COMBUSTIBLE IN ROMANIA) FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PHYSICAL, MECHANICAL AND ENERGETIC PROPERTIES

Abstract

This paper compares briquettes made of spruce with those made of beech from the perspective of physical, mechanical and energetic features, for the purpose of making the appropriate selection from the market. The main properties being studied are briquettes' density, as a physical feature, resistance to perpendicular compression, as a mechanical feature necessary to determine chips' compression degree and their compression status, and the calorific value as an energetic feature. The research findings show that coniferous tree briquettes are denser and more resistant, but have a lower calorific value. It was also determined that briquettes compression is directly dependent on their density and consequently, briquettes' energy density remains the only property able to collectively characterise the quality of briquettes

Keywords

• briquettes
• spruce
• beech
• caloric density
• compression strength