Abstract
The conversion of biomass to high-density briquettes is a potential solution to solid waste problems as well as to a high dependence on fuel wood in developing countries. In this study, the potential of converting vegetable waste to briquettes using waste paper as a binder was investigated. A sample size of 30 respondents was interviewed using a self-administered questionnaire at the D-line fruit and vegetable market in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Carrot and cabbage leaves were selected for briquetting based on their availability and heating value. This waste was sun-dried, pulverized, torrefied and fermented. Briquettes were produced with a manual briquette press after the processed vegetable waste was mixed with waste paper in four paper:waste ratios, i.e., 10:90, 15:85, 20:80 and 25:75. The moisture content, densities and cooking efficiency of the briquettes were determined using the oven-drying method, the water-displacement method, and the water-boiling test, respectively. There was no observed trend in moisture content values of the briquettes, which varied significantly between 3.0% and 8.5%. There was no significant variation in the densities, which ranged from 0.79 g/cm3 to 0.96 g/cm3 for all the briquette types. A degree of compaction above 300% was achieved for all the briquette types. Water-boiling test results revealed that 10:90 paper:sun-dried cabbage briquettes had the highest ignitability of 0.32 min. Torrefied carrot briquettes with 25% paper had the least boiling time and the highest burning rates of 9.21 min and 4.89 g/min, respectively. It was concluded that cabbage and carrot waste can best be converted into good-quality briquettes after torrefaction.
Highlights
The management of municipal solid waste poses various challenges to many countries of the world at varying intensities
The interviewswith respondents revealed that a lot of vegetable waste was generated at the market and this was poorly managed beyond the point of storage
This study revealed that solid waste management at the D-line market, Port Harcourt, is poor in terms of storage, inconsistent collection and disposal in dumpsites in tandem with the practices across
Summary
The management of municipal solid waste poses various challenges to many countries of the world at varying intensities. The primary difference between waste materials generated in developing nations and those generated in industrialized countries is the higher organic content characteristic of the former. This further aggravates the already existing challenge due to the bulky nature of organic waste and the unpleasant accompaniments of putrefaction [1]. Embedded in this challenge is an opportunity which represents the direction in which the world is heading in the “energy cycle”. According to Jekayinfa and Scholz [3] a country like Nigeria has abundant supplies of biomass resources, in the form of agro-forestry residues and municipal solid waste which have the potential for energy generation
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