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Turning Ag Plastic Into Pelleted Fuel
Jeff Rabl is turning feed bags, bale bags, netting and twine into a high-energy fuel. Combined into pellets with wood fiber and other materials, the plastic burns well, producing 10 to 15 percent more btu's than straight wood fiber, wet or dry.
"We worked with Fountain Head Engineering to develop a machine to pr
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Turning Ag Plastic Into Pelleted Fuel ENERGY Alternative Fuels 33-6-28 Jeff Rabl is turning feed bags, bale bags, netting and twine into a high-energy fuel. Combined into pellets with wood fiber and other materials, the plastic burns well, producing 10 to 15 percent more btu's than straight wood fiber, wet or dry.
"We worked with Fountain Head Engineering to develop a machine to process plastic and wood fiber into pellets," says Rabl. "They have patented techniques for using plastic as a binder for wood, corn stover and even paper."
Rabl chose to concentrate on 1 1/4-in. dia. pellets. This means they can't be used in standard wood pellet stoves with auger feeders, which are normally sized for 1/4-in. dia. pellets. The larger pellets require less energy to make, since the fiber doesn't have to be milled so fine. There's also less concern about burning plastic-bound pellets in industrial boilers.
Burning ag plastic rather than trying to recycle it also eliminates the need to wash it. "It only needs to be clean of dirt clumps, rocks and metal," says Rabl. "If there is a thin coating of crop residue on the bag, it won't hurt anything.
Though he is still in the testing stage, Rabl is confident there's a market for his pellets. He's working with a proposed power plant in Madison, Wis. and is having the pellets tested in existing power plants.
Finding a supply is also not expected to be a problem. Rabl is working with the state of Wis. and county agents to devise a system for centralized receiving. Bales of plastic would be hauled to a processing facility from various recycling centers. There they would be shredded, mixed with wood or other fiber, and pelletized.
Rabl says other fibers tested include cardboard, corn stover, paper, paper sludge and some grasses. "We hope to expand our facility with another machine and put a couple more near other locations that could use the fuel," says Rabl.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wood Residual Solutions LLC, 509 Mill St., Montello, Wis. 53949 (ph 608 297-7141; jeffr@woodresidualsolutions.com).
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