Assessing the effect of starch on density and caloric value in sawdust briquette for domestic energy utilization in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

The effect of starch on density, caloric value and specific fuel consumption were assessed in this research. Composite sawdust briquettes were produced from the mixture of sawdust and starch within four treatments in a percentage ratio of 80:20 for treatment A, 70:30 for treatment B, 60:40 for treatment C and 50:50 for treatment D. Densification of the mixtures was achieved using a manually operating briquetting machine and starch gel was used as a binding agent. The performance of briquette produced was examined under controlled cooking test. Energy content was determined using oxygen bomb calorimeter. The results obtained from density according to treatments A, B, C and D respectively were 0.0002067kg/cm3,0.0002433kg/cm3, 0.00025kg/cm3. Treatment D has the highest density of 0.00029kg /cm3. The caloric value was determined from the heat of combustion with treatment B having the highest energy content of 7.37cal/g, C=6.159cal/g, A=6.055calg, and D=4.573cal/g. Specific fuel consumption was determined during controlled cooking test and the values for the respective treatments were A=0.89g, B=0.47g, C=0.64g, D=0.86g, and fire wood=0.89g. Time taken to cook 200g of rice was obtained using wrist watch and the values were: A=50min, B=44min, C=48min, D=47min, and firewood had the highest value of 53min. Results showed that, increase in the quantity of starch led to increase in density of composites.

Fabrication of briquettes from charcoal fines using tannin formaldehyde resin as a binder

“…Several studies have been conducted, where several binders have been tested in the production of briquettes from diverse biomass such as rice husk/cassava peel gel, rice husk/banana peel, maize cob/cassava peel gel, maize cob/banana peel, groundnut shell/cassava peel gel, groundnut shell/banana peel, sugarcane bagasse/cassava peel gel, sugarcane bagasse/banana peel (Abdulmalik et al, 2020;Idah et al, 2013;Miao et al, 2023;Rawat & Kumar 2022), coal fines/ sugarcane baggase binder (van der Westhuizen et al, 2023), charcoal fines and schizolobium parahyba var. amazonicum (paricá) wood (Dias Júnior et al ., 2020), spent coffee grounds/xanthan gum (Seco et al, 2019), coal fine-torrefied wood/pitch (Adeleke et al, 2021), idigbo (terminalia ivorensis) charcoal particles, pinewood pi (nus caribaea) sawdust/cassava peels (Ajimotokan et al, 2019), coal fines/polyacrylic binder (Botha et al, 2021), coal fines-sawdust/molasses (Manyuchi et al, 2018), and charcoal fines/African elemi (canarium schweinfurthii) resin (Kivumbi et al, 2021).…”

Fabrication of Sawdust Briquettes Using Local Banana Pulp as a Binder

“…A good briquette binder must be economically accessible, strong, environmentally pollution-free and produce strong bond. Therefore, finding a suitable binder in briquetting is an important step (Abdulmalik et al, 2020). Poor quality briquettes may crack and crumble back to the original components when stored, processed or handled (Idah & Mopah, 2013).…”

“…Furthermore, the density, durability and combustion characteristics of fuel briquettes are influenced by the binder. Traditionally cement, clay, animal dung, bitumen, wood/coal tar, gum Ar-abic have previously been utilised as binders for making briquettes (Abdulmalik et al, 2020). However, economic viability of these materials is questionable for briquetting due to competition for their usage in other sectors.…”

“…However, economic viability of these materials is questionable for briquetting due to competition for their usage in other sectors. Moreover, combustibility and calorific values of briquettes based on these binders are low (Abdulmalik et al, 2020). These inorganic binders have good compaction ratio, hydrophobic nature and compressive strength than organic binders but inorganic binders decrease the net heating value of briquettes and increase the burn out temperature and ash content .…”

“…These inorganic binders have good compaction ratio, hydrophobic nature and compressive strength than organic binders but inorganic binders decrease the net heating value of briquettes and increase the burn out temperature and ash content . Several studies have cited organic binders such as starch, protein, fibre, fat/oil, lignosulfonate, modified cellulose, rapeseed flour, coffee meal, orange peels, bananas waste, bark gums, molasses sugar, starch, sulphite liquor, cassava wastewater, microalgae and okra stem gum, pine cones and lignin powder as possible briquettes binders (Abdulmalik et al, 2020;Rajaseenivasan et al, 2016). To that effect some studies have been conducted where several binders have been tested in the production of briquettes from different biomass; rice husk/cassava peel gel, rice husk/banana peel, maize cob/ cassava peel gel, maize cob/banana peel, groundnut shell/ cassava peel gel, groundnut shell/banana peel, sugarcane bagasse/cassava peel gel, sugarcane bagasse/banana peel with encouraging bulk densities calorific values and other properties.…”