Evaluation of Briquettes Produced from Charred Sawdust, Corncob and Ricehusk

Abstract

The use of firewood, twigs and charcoal as fuel sources has resulted increase in the rate of deforestation. This study evaluated the physical and chemical properties of briquettes produced from charred farm wastes to supplement the use of charcoal and firewood. Charred farm wastes namely; corncob, rice husk and sawdust were used to produce the briquette with starch as the binding material. A ratio of 100 %, 50-50 % and 33.33 % mixture of the raw material were used in preparation of the briquettes. Laboratory tests including shatter index, boiling test, proximate and ultimate analysis were carried out to determine the physical and chemical qualities of the developed briquettes. From results obtained, sawdust briquette with the least density (325.6kg/m³) recorded the least boiling time of 30mins compared to the other samples. The proximate analysis showed that, the mixture of corncob and sawdust briquette had the highest values of volatile matter (71.48%) and fixed carbon content (19.99%), least amounts of ash content (2.29%) and moisture content (6.24). Mixture of corncob and sawdust also had the highest heating value of 30804.72kJ/kg. The production of briquettes from these waste materials as shown in this study provides alternate fuel to charcoal or firewood as well as helps manage waste disposal.