Abstract
In this study, investigations were carried out on the energy evaluation, performance analysis and optimization of briquettes produced from biomass wastes (rice-husk and sawdust) and their composites using starch and clay as binders. The proximate compositions of the briquettes were determined following ASTM analytical methods. The moisture content of rice husk and sawdust before briquettes was 20wt.% and 15wt.% respectively. The briquettes produced from bio-waste material of homogeneous particle sizes of 0.5mm and two binders of a percentage of 90:10 which were sun-dried, prepared and moisturized, were reduced to 5wt.% and compressed for the production of briquettes. The energy evaluation of the briquettes was performed using an oxygen bomb calorimeter and the performance test of the briquettes was carried out. Design Expert Central Composite Design Tool was used in the design and Response surface methodology was used to optimize the energy values of rice-husk/sawdust composite briquettes with clay and starch as binders, after which composite briquette made of mahogany sawdust/rice-husk were produced using the optimum condition values of 15% binder starch, 28% rice-husk and 9Mpa compaction pressure. The results showed that composite briquettes of mahogany sawdust and rice-husk produced with starch had a maximum energy value of 5.69kcal/g, while those made with clay had a minimum energy value of 3.35kcal/g. However, the experimental result was less than the predicted optimum value of 2%. This shows that composite briquette made from mahogany sawdust/rice-husk has better energy efficiency than other briquettes considered and it has been observed that starch is a better bonding material than clay. Briquetting technology has great potential to transform waste biomass in affordable, effective and environmentally safe, high-quality solid fuel for households and industry use.
Highlights
The world has gone deep into research to find low– cost methods of recycling waste materials into useful products
Figure (8) shows that mahogany sawdust/rice husk composite bonded with starch has a low ignition time (0.2min), high ignition time (45.51min), low ignition time (17.2min), low ignition rate (0.037g/min), low fuel consumption (31.1g/min) and high cooking efficiency (46.7%) are combined with other briquettes at optimum conditions of 9Mpa, 15% of binder and 28% of rice husk
This performance parameter shows that composite briquette made of mahogany sawdust and rice husk mixed with starch is better compared to when separated because the boiling time and burning rate are lower than others that help to achieve higher efficiency (46.7%)
Summary
The world has gone deep into research to find low– cost methods of recycling waste materials into useful products. Are generated annually which amount to the environmental hazard and resulted in air pollution when burnt-off (Achebe et al, 2019; Imeh et al, 2017; Babajide et al, 2018). Some of these agricultural wastes (by-products) may perhaps be utilized (Arevalo et al, 2018; Chukwuneke et al, 2019) and they have values. The conversion of wood waste, coaldust and agricultural by-products to lofty energy briquettes for drying and cooking are possible (Imeh et al, 2017; Akande and Olorunnisola, 2018)
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