Characterisation of briquettes from forest wastes: Optimisation approach

Abstract

Waste from a forest environment constitutes an enormous quantity of renewable energy resources. In this study undesirable forest materials, such as jatropha seed shells (JSSs) and Eucalyptus camaldulensis wood shavings (EcWSs) were used in the production of briquettes with Acacia senegal as the binder using mixing proportions of 0 : 100, 25 : 75, 50 : 50, 75 : 25 and 100 : 0 while the binder was varied from 50, 60, 70, 80 to 90 g. Some physical properties, such as the density, moisture content, water resistance and shatter index, were optimised using the response surface methodology at these mixing proportions. The outcome of the production showed the briquettes to have mean values of 0.66 kg·m<sup>–3</sup>, 11.51, 91.12 and 99.7 % for the density, moisture content, water resistance and shatter index, respectively. The optimum mixing ratio and binder quantity of 75 : 25 and 60 g, respectively, would result in a briquette having a 0.70 kg·m<sup>–3</sup>, 10.88, 98.11 and 99.86% density, moisture content, water resistance and shatter index, respectively. It has been revealed that the JSS and EcWS are potential organic wastes which could be used as a feedstock for the production of briquettes. It could be concluded that the variation in the mixing proportion of the JSSs, EcWSs and A. senegal significantly affected the properties of the produced briquettes.