Firelog

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.

Types

A new cleaner firelog has now been developed using waste fibre from the oil palm fruit bunches of South East Asia.^{[citation needed]} Unlike sawdust logs, these burn with zero sulfur emissions. Also unlike sawdust logs, no trees need to be felled to produce these firelogs^{[citation needed]}. Other new types of firelogs include one 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, and another made from renewable Greek cotton plants, offering a high energy content.

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 wood and wax firelogs made 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, as during combustion the carbon released 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. ^{[citation needed]}

Energy content

Energy content comparison
Extruded firelog	1,500 BTU/lb	3.4 MJ/kg
Firewood	6,190 BTU/lb	14.4 MJ/kg
Wood pellets	8,400 BTU/lb	19.54 MJ/kg
Compressed firelog	8,500 BTU/lb	19.8 MJ/kg
Palm fibre firelog	10,500 BTU/lb	24.4 MJ/kg
Java-Log	12,620 BTU/lb	29.3 MJ/kg
Northland	13,540 BTU/lb	31.4 MJ/kg
Duraflame Xtra Time	13,770 BTU/lb	32.0 MJ/kg
Duraflame Easy Time	14,420 BTU/lb	33.5 MJ/kg
Pine Mountain Superlog	15,190 BTU/lb	35.2 MJ/kg
Cotton plant firelog	17,000 BTU/lb	39.8 MJ/kg
Fossil fuel oil or Diesel	18,600 BTU/lb	43.26 MJ/kg

References

v t e Wood products
Lumber/ timber	Batten Beam Bressummer CLS Cruck Flitch beam Flooring Joist Lath Log building Log cabin Log house Molding Panelling Plank Plate Post Purlin Rafter Railroad ties Reclaimed Shingle Siding Sill Stud Timber truss Treenail Truss Utility pole
Engineered wood	Cross-laminated timber Glued laminated timber veneer LVL parallel strand I-joist Fiberboard hardboard Masonite MDF Oriented strand board Oriented structural straw board Particle board Plywood Structural insulated panel Wood–plastic composite lumber
Fuelwood	Charcoal biochar Firelog Firewood Pellet fuel Wood fuel
Fibers	Cardboard Corrugated fiberboard Paper Paperboard Pulp Pulpwood Rayon
Derivatives	Birch-tar Cellulose nano Hemicellulose Cellulosic ethanol Dyes Lignin Liquid smoke Lye Methanol Pyroligneous acid Pine tar Pitch Sandalwood oil Tannin Wood gas
By-products	Barkdust Black liquor Ramial chipped wood Sawdust Tall oil Wood flour Wood wool Woodchips
Historical	Axe ties Bavin (wood) Billet (wood) Clapboard Dugout canoe Potash Sawdust brandy Split-rail fence Tanbark Timber framing Wooden masts
See also	Biomass Certified wood Destructive distillation Dry distillation Engineered bamboo Forestry Green building and wood List of woods Mulch Non-timber forest products Natural building Papermaking Reclaimed lumber Timber recycling Wood drying Wood preservation Wood processing Woodworking Yakisugi
Category Commons WikiProject Forestry

Types

Energy content

See also

References