Utilization of agricultural waste in the production of charcoal briquette blend as alternative source of energy

Abstract

This study assessed the utilization of agricultural wastes in the production of charcoal briquette blend as alternative source of energy by using mixture of waste materials. The briquettes were produced by mixing varying compositions of carbonized biomass (cassava stem charcoal) and uncarbonized biomasses (pawpaw straw and cashew leaves) at the ratios of 0:100, 20:80, 80:20 and 100:0 using cassava starch binder. Proximate analyses, elemental analysis, combustion and gas emission analysis of the briquettes were determined using standard methods. The results obtained are in the following ranges: volatile matter (47.60 to59.54%), the ash content (3.70 to 23.89%), moisture content (31.80 to 45.56%), fixed carbon (0.11 to 1.01%), calorific values (16,059 to 21,012 kJ/kg), and the amounts of fuel elements ranging from (38.6 to 64.8% carbon, and 0.1 to 1.1% Sulphur). The CO and CO2 ranged from 0.01 to 0.02 g/MJ and 0.01 to 0.28g/MJ respectively. It was observed from the results that the production of briquettes from agricultural wastes is economical because it involves conversion of waste to wealth, providing an alternative and renewable source of energy to man and at the same time minimizing the environmental nuisance which makes the environment unclean.