Denna studie handlar om pelletering som möjlig lönsam marginalaffär vid mindre sågverk/hyvlerier. Studien, vilken skett genom djupintervjuer på plats, omfattar fem olika mindre sågverk/hyvlerier i Småland. Verksamheterna är sinsemellan på många sätt olika men har samtliga satsat på pelletering av ekonomiska skäl och av miljöskäl. Studien visar att pelletering är lönsam men också att det krävs vissa förutsättningar för att långsiktigt nå denna lönsamhet. Den viktigaste är långsiktig tillgång till råvara i form av torrt spån men det krävs även ett genuint intresse och en stor kunskap inom såväl teknik som trä för den som skall pelletera Detta beror på att produktionsprocessen är mycket komplicerad och även beroende av en del yttre omständigheter som t.ex. fukt, kyla och torka. Eftersom komplexiteten, och därmed den initiala personella insatsen är stor, bör man också uppnå vissa minimikvantiteter i produktionen. Studien visar också att det även krävs ett antal övriga element för att pelleteringen skall uppvisa den lönsamhet som en hastig förkalkyl ger vid handen. Klarar man att leva upp till de flesta av dessa finns det goda förutsättningar att pelletering över en konjunkturcykel kan medverka till att förbättra lönsamheten för den typ av mindre anläggningar som studerats. / This study is about pelleting as a possible profitable marginal business for minor saw-mills and planing mills. It has been carried out through in depth interviews of five different minor saw-mills and planing mills in Småland. These businesses are different themselves but all of them have invested in pelleting for financial and environmental reasons. The study shows that pelleting is profitable but also that a number of conditions must be fulfilled to reach profitability in the long run. The most important success factor is long-term access to raw material (dry chip) but the production process also demands a high interest and knowledge in wood and processing technology. This is due to the fact that the process is very complex and also depending on external circumstances like humidity, coldness and dryness. Due to this complexity and that the demand of manpower is rather high one should aim for producing at least a certain minimum quantity. The study also shows that there are a couple of other factors that are needed to be fulfilled to reach the profitability that the pre-calculation indicates. If most of these conditions are fulfilled there are very good possibilities that pelleting over a business cycle can contribute to an improved profitability for the type of businesses that have been studied.

<p>Denna studie handlar om pelletering som möjlig lönsam marginalaffär vid mindre sågverk/hyvlerier. Studien, vilken skett genom djupintervjuer på plats, omfattar fem olika mindre sågverk/hyvlerier i Småland. Verksamheterna är sinsemellan på många sätt olika men har samtliga satsat på pelletering av ekonomiska skäl och av miljöskäl.</p><p>Studien visar att pelletering är lönsam men också att det krävs vissa förutsättningar för att långsiktigt nå denna lönsamhet. Den viktigaste är långsiktig tillgång till råvara i form av torrt spån men det krävs även ett genuint intresse och en stor kunskap inom såväl teknik som trä för den som skall pelletera Detta beror på att produktionsprocessen är mycket komplicerad och även beroende av en del yttre omständigheter som t.ex. fukt, kyla och torka. Eftersom komplexiteten, och därmed den initiala personella insatsen är stor, bör man också uppnå vissa minimikvantiteter i produktionen. Studien visar också att det även krävs ett antal övriga element för att pelleteringen skall uppvisa den lönsamhet som en hastig förkalkyl ger vid handen.</p><p>Klarar man att leva upp till de flesta av dessa finns det goda förutsättningar att pelletering över en konjunkturcykel kan medverka till att förbättra lönsamheten för den typ av mindre anläggningar som studerats.</p> / <p>This study is about pelleting as a possible profitable marginal business for minor saw-mills and planing mills. It has been carried out through in depth interviews of five different minor saw-mills and planing mills in Småland. These businesses are different themselves but all of them have invested in pelleting for financial and environmental reasons.</p><p>The study shows that pelleting is profitable but also that a number of conditions must be fulfilled to reach profitability in the long run. The most important success factor is long-term access to raw material (dry chip) but the production process also demands a high interest and knowledge in wood and processing technology. This is due to the fact that the process is very complex and also depending on external circumstances like humidity, coldness and dryness. Due to this complexity and that the demand of manpower is rather high one should aim for producing at least a certain minimum quantity.</p><p>The study also shows that there are a couple of other factors that are needed to be fulfilled to reach the profitability that the pre-calculation indicates.</p><p>If most of these conditions are fulfilled there are very good possibilities that pelleting over a business cycle can contribute to an improved profitability for the type of businesses that have been studied.</p>

<p>This thesis evaluates the use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) as an approach to the increasingly difficult air sampling challenges within the field of occupational and environmental hygiene. The application of FTIR is exemplified by the assessment of emissions from and exposures in the sawmill and pellet industries. </p><p>Open path FTIR was applied in the sawsheds and the terpene levels were monitored for several days. Traditional adsorbent sampling was used to evaluate the FTIR measurements. The volatile emissions from wood pellets were investigated in warehouses and in domestic storage rooms. </p><p>The installation of open path FTIR in the harsh sawmill environment proved useful, however, attention must be paid to vibrations, beam blockage and limited sensitivity. Adsorbent sampling showed good agreement with open path FTIR. The uncontrolled airflows in sawsheds caused significant underestimation of emission rates. By the use of FTIR and a tracer gas a more accurate estimate was obtained. The total emission from processing of Scots pine was estimated to 660 g/m³ of roundwood under bark, and can amount to 700 tons annually from a large sawmill.</p><p>Hexanal (111±32 mg/m³) and CO (56±4mg/m³) were recorded in pellet warehouses. Storage of wood pellets constitutes a potential occupational and domestic health hazard. Experiments from kiln drying of lumber show that the emissions of hexanal and carbon monoxide are not limited to wood pellets but are caused by general degradation processes of wood, facilitated by drying at elevated temperature. This is the first published report where low-temperature emission of carbon monoxide from wood materials is described. </p><p>The FTIR method is a significant advancement in measurement technology. The retrieved data offers unparalleled information. It offers robust, convenient and efficient monitoring of gases over extended periods. FTIR spectroscopy should be considered a standard technique within the field of occupational and environmental hygiene.</p>

This thesis evaluates the use of Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) as an approach to the increasingly difficult air sampling challenges within the field of occupational and environmental hygiene. The application of FTIR is exemplified by the assessment of emissions from and exposures in the sawmill and pellet industries. Open path FTIR was applied in the sawsheds and the terpene levels were monitored for several days. Traditional adsorbent sampling was used to evaluate the FTIR measurements. The volatile emissions from wood pellets were investigated in warehouses and in domestic storage rooms. The installation of open path FTIR in the harsh sawmill environment proved useful, however, attention must be paid to vibrations, beam blockage and limited sensitivity. Adsorbent sampling showed good agreement with open path FTIR. The uncontrolled airflows in sawsheds caused significant underestimation of emission rates. By the use of FTIR and a tracer gas a more accurate estimate was obtained. The total emission from processing of Scots pine was estimated to 660 g/m3 of roundwood under bark, and can amount to 700 tons annually from a large sawmill. Hexanal (111±32 mg/m3) and CO (56±4mg/m3) were recorded in pellet warehouses. Storage of wood pellets constitutes a potential occupational and domestic health hazard. Experiments from kiln drying of lumber show that the emissions of hexanal and carbon monoxide are not limited to wood pellets but are caused by general degradation processes of wood, facilitated by drying at elevated temperature. This is the first published report where low-temperature emission of carbon monoxide from wood materials is described. The FTIR method is a significant advancement in measurement technology. The retrieved data offers unparalleled information. It offers robust, convenient and efficient monitoring of gases over extended periods. FTIR spectroscopy should be considered a standard technique within the field of occupational and environmental hygiene.