ABSTRACT
Briquettes are bio-fuel substitute to firewood and charcoal. Briquetting involves the densification of loose granular material into compact and easily transportable fuel. The increasing population and the rise of living standards, contribute to the increase in demand for energy in the world. However, most of the energy requirements of developing countries are still supplied by fossil-based fuel. Agro residues/waste (such as Maize husk) have been identified as a veritable alternative to wood in briquette production. Hence, this study was designed to determine the bio-fuel characteristics of briquette produced from maize husk using fabricated briquetting machine with a view to elucidate its energy properties. Briquettes were produced from maize husk using 100g, 150g, 200g, 250g and 300g starch weight at 5 replicates. The physical and combustion characteristics of the produced briquettes were determined following standard procedure. Data were analysed using ANOVA in CRD at 5% probability level. The produced density ranges from 23.00±0.01 (300g) to 35.80±0.04 (100g). The highest volatile matter (59.73%) and least ash content (5.33%) were obtained for briquettes produced with 100g binder weight. In the same vein, highest percentage fixed carbon (56.32±1.32%) and heating value (38.83±1.93 kcal/kg) were obtained for 100g starch weight briquettes. This implied that briquettes with 100g binder weight supported combustion more than others. Economically, this type is preferred as it will not require much binder to produce.
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