OPTIMIZATION OF BINDER CONCENTRATION AND PARTICLE SIZE FOR ELEPHANT GRASS AND SAWDUST
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63746/njtd.v23i1.4038Keywords:
Briquettes, Waste biomass, Elephant grass, Sawdust, Cissus populnea (okoho)Abstract
The increasing demand for sustainable energy alternatives has renewed interest in the utilization of agricultural and forestry residues for solid biofuel production. In this study, elephant grass and sawdust were evaluated as feedstocks for briquette production using Cissus populnea (okoho) as a natural binder. Both biomass types, considered waste resources, were milled and sieved into four particle size fractions (1000, 500, 300, and 212 µm). Briquettes were produced with binder concentrations ranging from 0 to 35% and subsequently subjected to proximate analysis, density determination, compressive strength, shatter resistance, tumbling resistance, and higher heating value tests. Response surface methodology was employed to generate predictive models, while ANOVA and regression analyses were used to assess factor significance. Results showed that binder concentration and particle size significantly influenced briquette quality parameters (p<0.05), with higher binder levels and smaller particle sizes generally improving density and mechanical strength. Both feedstocks demonstrated good performance; however, sawdust briquettes exhibited superior overall properties, indicating their greater suitability for high-quality briquette production. These findings underscore the potential of locally available waste biomass and natural binders in the development of renewable energy solutions.
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