Influence of Apparent Density during the Burning of Wood Waste Furniture

In the near future, in France, new regulations will govern the emissions of gaseous effluents. The furniture industry will be affected. Different wood wastes, from furniture, were burnt in an open cone calorimeter. Several configurations of wood (whole-wood and shredded wood samples) were studied: wood chips, wood fibers, and boards. The efficiency of combustion appears to be well correlated with the apparent density of these materials. Temperature evolution was followed during the combustion of these materials. The temperature histories show that increasing the apparent density of compounds strongly improves the heat transfer into the materials. The maximum rate of heat release (HRR) increased with increasing apparent density. Moreover, gases in the exhaust were analyzed. The combustion becomes complete when waste was compressed to obtain boards. For example, carbon monoxide emissions from wood boards were 45% less than from wood fibers.