Evaluation of combustion characteristic of charcoal from different tropical wood species

Abstract

The combustion characteristics of charcoal produced from wood offcuts of some selected tropical wood species (Iroko, Obeche, Oak, Afara, and Mahogany) were evaluated. The woods offcuts were collected from different sawmills in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria and were converted into charcoal using a portable steel kiln. Physicalproperties such as density and proximate analysis i.e. percentage moisture content (PMC), percentage volatile matter (PVM), percentage ash content (PAC), percentage fixed carbon (PFC) and heating values (HV), of the produced charcoal were determined using the American Standard Testing Method (ASTM D1102-56). Analysis of wood and production of charcoal were carried out at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria Jericho Ibadan, Oyo State while determination of densities and the proximate analysis tests on the charcoal samples were carried out at