Proximate Analysis of Briquettes Produced from Idah-Based Malaina Timbre Sawdust and Rice Husk Using Starch as Binder

Abstract

There are significantly high quantities of rice husk (RH) and sawdust (SD) as by-products from the rice mills and wood milling industries in Idah, Kogi state Nigeria. These by-products are virtually being wasted and or constituting environmental pollution as there is no established used made of them. This study proximately analyzes the properties of fuel briquettes produced from these rice husk, saw dust, and their blends using cassava starch as binder. The briquettes were produced from 100% SD, 100% RH and blends of 75%RH + 25% SD, 75% SD + 25%RH, and 50%RH + 50%SD. The proximate analysis and physical properties such as percentage ash content, volatile matter, moisture content, fixed carbon, bulk density, and calorific values of the briquettes were determined. From the results, it was found that, the 100% SD recorded the highest calorific value (29,463.26kJ/kg) with lowest ash content (1.51%), assuring a very high burning efficiency and the highest volatile matter (87.77%), while the 100% RH has the lowest volatile matter. The 100%RH and 100%SD briquettes respectively has the lowest (7.46%) and highest (10.53%) percentage moisture content though within the recommended limit (< 15%). The 75%RH + 25%SD briquettes has the highest value of fixed carbon of 0.70%, ranking it highest in heat generating capacity during burning. The 100%SD and the 75%RH + 25%SD briquettes has the highest bulk density of 0.28 g/cm3 , rating them as having the longest burning time among the briquettes produced in the current work. The use of 100%SD and 75%RH + 25%SD as biomass briquettes can offer several advantages including, reduction of environmental pollution from the use of fossil fuels, and reduction of ecological disaster arising from deforestation.