Firelog
Encyclopedia
A Firelog is a manufactured log constructed to be used as wood fuel
. Firelogs are designed to be inexpensive, while being easier to ignite, and burn longer, and more efficiently than firewood
. Firelogs are traditionally manufactured using two methods. The first uses only compressed sawdust
and the second uses sawdust and paraffin
, which is mixed and extruded into a log shape. The extruded firelogs are individually wrapped in paper packaging which can be ignited to start burning the firelog as the paraffin is readily combustible.
A new cleaner firelog has now been developed using waste fibre from the oil palm
fruit bunches of South East Asia. Unlike sawdust logs these burn with zero sulfur
emissions. Also unlike sawdust
logs no trees need to be felled to produce these firelogs, meaning more oxygen
and less carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere. The same is applicable for another new type of firelogs made from renewable Greek cotton plants, offering a high energy contents.
Another new type of firelog is made from waste wax-cardboard such as that used in the packing of perishable foods for shipment, which is used to create a compressed cardboard firelog.
The materials used for a traditional firelog are variable, the sawdust used is often commercial wood waste from manufacturers, or waste agricultural biomass (nut shells, fruit pits, etc.); additionally bio-wax may be used in lieu of paraffin (petroleum-based wax).
There are now a number of wood and wax firelogs made with using renewable materials. These are made using plant or animal based renewable waxes such as palm oil. These logs can be considered to be carbon neutral firelogs during combustion as the carbon released on combustion is the same carbon absorbed when the plants are growing.
Sulphur emissions are virtually eliminated with renewable firelogs as they do not contain paraffin waxes
Wood fuel
Wood fuel is wood used as fuel. The burning of wood is currently the largest use of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate electricity. Wood fuel may be available as...
. Firelogs are designed to be inexpensive, while being easier to ignite, and burn longer, and more efficiently than firewood
Firewood
Firewood is any wood-like material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not highly processed and is in some sort of recognizable log or branch form....
. Firelogs are traditionally manufactured using two methods. The first uses only compressed sawdust
Sawdust
Sawdust is a by-product of cutting lumber with a saw, composed of fine particles of wood. It can present a hazard in manufacturing industries, especially in terms of its flammability....
and the second uses sawdust and paraffin
Paraffin
In chemistry, paraffin is a term that can be used synonymously with "alkane", indicating hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH2n+2. Paraffin wax refers to a mixture of alkanes that falls within the 20 ≤ n ≤ 40 range; they are found in the solid state at room temperature and begin to enter the...
, which is mixed and extruded into a log shape. The extruded firelogs are individually wrapped in paper packaging which can be ignited to start burning the firelog as the paraffin is readily combustible.
A new cleaner firelog has now been developed using waste fibre from the oil palm
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
fruit bunches of South East Asia. Unlike sawdust logs these burn with zero sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
emissions. Also unlike sawdust
Sawdust
Sawdust is a by-product of cutting lumber with a saw, composed of fine particles of wood. It can present a hazard in manufacturing industries, especially in terms of its flammability....
logs no trees need to be felled to produce these firelogs, meaning more oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
and less carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
in the atmosphere. The same is applicable for another new type of firelogs made from renewable Greek cotton plants, offering a high energy contents.
Another new type of firelog is made from waste wax-cardboard such as that used in the packing of perishable foods for shipment, which is used to create a compressed cardboard firelog.
The materials used for a traditional firelog are variable, the sawdust used is often commercial wood waste from manufacturers, or waste agricultural biomass (nut shells, fruit pits, etc.); additionally bio-wax may be used in lieu of paraffin (petroleum-based wax).
There are now a number of wood and wax firelogs made with using renewable materials. These are made using plant or animal based renewable waxes such as palm oil. These logs can be considered to be carbon neutral firelogs during combustion as the carbon released on combustion is the same carbon absorbed when the plants are growing.
Sulphur emissions are virtually eliminated with renewable firelogs as they do not contain paraffin waxes
| Firewood | 6400 BTU/lb | 14.9 MJ/kg |
| Extruded firelog | 1500 BTU/lb | 3.4 MJ/kg |
| Compressed firelog | 8500 BTU/lb | 19.8 MJ/kg |
| Palm fibre firelog | 10500 BTU/lb | 24.4 MJ/kg |
| Cotton plant firelog | 17000 BTU/lb | 39.8 MJ/kg |