Open Access

ARTICLE

Optimizing Wood Pellet Quality: Physical Properties of Acacia hybrid and Pine Wood Waste for Industrial Applications

Faiz Rahman, Rafidah Md Salim^*, Janshah Mohktar

Wood Testing Laboratory, Faculty of Tropical Forestry, University of Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, 88400, Sabah, Malaysia

* Corresponding Author: Rafidah Md Salim. Email:

Journal of Renewable Materials 2026, 14(2), 4 https://doi.org/10.32604/jrm.2026.02025-0066

Received 19 March 2025; Accepted 12 September 2025; Issue published 25 February 2026

Abstract

The growing demand for renewable energy has increased the use of wood pellets as a clean and efficient biomass fuel. This study aims to evaluate the physical properties of wood pellets produced from Acacia hybrid (AC) veneer waste and Pine wood (PW) waste mixed with varying ratios. The objectives are to investigate the effect of different blend ratios of Acacia hybrid veneer waste and pine wood waste on the physical properties, specifically moisture content, density, and pellet durability index (PDI) of wood pellets, and to identify the optimal ratio that yields the most desirable pellet quality. The wood pellets were produced by blending Acacia hybrid veneer waste and Pine wood waste (AC:PW) in weight ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100. The materials were dried to 10%–12% moisture before pelletizing using a pellet mill under consistent pressure and temperature. Moisture content (MC), density (ρ) and pellet durability index (PDI) were measured following the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The study found that blending Acacia hybrid veneer waste with Pine wood waste significantly improved pellet density and durability compared to the control. The moisture was lowest in pellets with 50:50 and 25:75 blends, indicating better drying and stability. The blend 50:50 achieves the highest density, and for pellet durability index, the best blend is 25:75, suggesting improved resistance to breakage. Overall, the 50:50 and 25:75 ratios produced pellet with the most desirable combination of low moisture, high density, high durability and the blend meets key ISO 17225 and ENplus quality standards for industrial wood pellet.

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Keywords

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