Energy Recovery from Municipal Solid Waste by Briquetting Process: Evaluation of Physical and Combustion Properties of the Fuel

Abstract

This study presents an experimental production of solid waste briquettes from municipal solid waste by screw extrusion technology and piston press technology. Combustible matters present in municipal solid wastes like paper, plastic and biomass (represented by rice husk) were processed using grinders and shredders and then densified. Two varieties of Refuse derived fuel were subjected to heat (around 300 0C) in Screw Extrusion machine while seven varieties of Selective fuel in the composition 0-70% lignite and 5-30% polyethylene by weight were densified at a constant pressure of 3.12 tons/cm2 at room temperature in piston press briquetting machine. Lime was added to one variety to capture emissions during fuel combustion. The production and analysis of the fuel briquettes were carried out according to Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS 8811, 8812) in the Biomass laboratory of NAST at Khumaltar. It was observed that addition of waste plastic improves fuel quality of low grade coal (lignite). High temperature and high pressure is required for briquetting the mixture of plastic and paper waste. The produced fuel briquettes might be suitable for use in industrial boilers and brick kilns but suitable control measures should be applied to capture harmful emissions.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/njst.v12i0.6508 Nepal Journal of Science and Technology 12 (2011) 238-241