*2.2. Preparation of Blend*

A 50/50 blend ratio of milled Norway spruce and pea starch was prepared by weighing 45 g of each respective material in order to achieve a uniform weight ratio for blending. Both materials were placed in a plastic container and thoroughly mixed together for 10 min using a 220-V Janke and Kunkel Ika-Werk mixer rotated at a speed of 60 rpm. The blend was prepared by mixing with water to achieve a moisture content (10%) equal to that of the pure samples described in the previous section. The procedure for achieving the desired moisture content for the blend was such that an appropriate amount of water was added to 90 g of the mixture and then mechanically rotated again for another 10 min. Shortly after rotation, the mixture was sealed in small plastic bags and stored for 48 h to allow the moisture to settle in and to prevent further absorption of moisture from the surroundings. Care was taken during the preparation of mixtures with water so as to avoid the formation of rigid irreversible gel by pea starch, which may alter the analysis results. The 50/50 percentage blend was a random selection aimed at keeping the ratio of the admixture of Norway spruce and pea starch equal for a fair comparison of the mechanism of bonding between the pure and blended pellet samples made from the two materials. The pellet production process of the pure and blended samples of Norway spruce and pea starch is described in the section below.
