Characterization of Sawdust Produced from Circular, Chain and Band Sawing Machines

Abstract

Particle size distribution (PSD) of sawdust produced from circular, chain and band sawing machines has been carried out in order to study the influence of different saws on sawdust produced and its characterization. The raw materials were collected from the mill sites and screened, then vibrated on mechanical sieves. Four major fractional classification of particle sizes are identified; oversize particles (OS), coarse particle (CPS), pin particle (PSP) and fine (FSP). The particle size distribution in all the three mills shows a similar pattern of distribution on log sieve graph. The proportion of particle size distribution in FPS produced by all the saw showed slight variations with the least (30.0 ± 1.2%) variation in bandsaw, followed in increasing order by chainsaw and circular saw (37.2 ± 1.3%). Analysis of variance revealed that blade type, particle size, wood density, and particle density are significantly affected by porosity.