TITLE:
Meta-Analysis of Pellet Manufacturing in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Mfourigam Issofa, Evariste Fongnzossie, Joseph Zobo Mfomo, Achille Bernard Biwole, Nsangou Abdouramane, Doina Sibiescu
KEYWORDS:
Pellets, Wood Waste, Energy, Densification
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.9,
September
4,
2025
ABSTRACT: Firewood and charcoal are the main sources of energy in Cameroon and are among the factors that cause deforestation. However, the accumulation of wood residues in processing industries is a source of energy that can be capitalized on to meet society’s needs. The recovery of these residues into wood pellets is an activity that can replenish areas poor in biomass and thus contribute to the reduction of pressures on the natural ecosystem, desertification, and climate change. As a result, this study aims to evaluate studies recovering related waste from wood processing industries in the manufacture of compressed pellets in order to determine the remaining waste. The methodology carried out was to search articles, theses, and dissertations available in databases such as Science Direct, Research Gate, and Google Scholar that deal with wood residues and their energy recovery in the field of pellets in Cameroon. It appears that some authors claim that the manufacture of wood pellets does not require the use of a binder or glue to ensure better incorporation. This is because of lignin, which is a chemical element in wood that ensures the action of lubrication and binder once hot during densification. For example, the higher lignin content in softwood species makes the formulation of pellets less restrictive during compression. However, the production of pellets based on tropical (hardwood) woods poses a problem of internal cohesion between the particles during densification, hence the use of natural binders such as clay and starch. Each piece of wood waste has its own specificities in the manufacture of pellets, and several have not yet been tested.