Effect of pretreatment by solid-state fermentation of sawdust on the pelletization and pellet’s properties

Abstract:

We pretreated sawdust (Castanopsis fissa Rehd.et Wils) by solid state fermentation (SSF) with Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and then compressed it into pellets with the moisture content of 15% and the pressure of 98 MPa, to solve the problem of low density, low Meyer hardness, high water uptake, and short storage period of pellet in the woody pellet industry. We studied the effects of fermentation time on pelletization and pellets’s characteristics (including energy consumption, density, Meyer hardness, and hydrophobicity). SSF affected the heating values of pellet. Compared with fresh sawdust, SSF consumed more energy at the maximal value by 6.98% but saved extrusion energy by 32.19% at the maximum. Meanwhile, SSF could improve the density, Meyer hardness and hydrophobicity of pellet. Pellet made of sawdust pretreated by SSF for 48 d had best quality, beneficial for long-term transportation and storage of pellets.