Fuel characteristics of binder free briquettes made at room temperature from blends of oil palm mesocarp fibre and Ceiba pentandra

Abstract

This study assessed the fuel characteristics of briquettes made from oil palm mesocarp fibre and sawdust of Ceiba pentandra at room temperature, using low compacting pressure without a binder. Properties of briquettes studied included stability in diameter and length, relaxed density, compressive strength, impact resistance index, gross calorific value, volatile matter, ash content and elemental composition. These properties were determined using standard laboratory methods. The results show that briquettes with better relaxed density, compressive strength and impact resistance index could be produced from a blend of C. pentandra sawdust and oil palm mesocarp fibre at low compacting pressure and room temperature without a binder. The relaxed density of briquettes produced ranged from 377 kg/m3 to 586 kg/m3 which could be classified as medium-density briquettes. The result further indicates that compacting pressure 40 MPa or more could be used to produce briquettes with adequate compressive strength in cleft and impact resistance index from the blend of C. pentandra sawdust and oil palm mesocarp fibre at low compacting pressure and room temperature without a binder. At 5% level of significance, the compacting pressure and mixing proportion had significant effect on the physical and mechanical properties of briquettes produced. The gross calorific values of Ceiba pentandra sawdust and oil palm mesocarp fibre were found to be 20.33 MJ/kg and 19.50 MJ/kg respectively. Even though most of the elemental compositions of the oil palm mesocarp fibre were not adequate, a blend with Ceiba pentandra sawdust could make it suitable to be used as an environmental friendly material for biomass briquettes production.