Determination of proximate analysis of charcoal briquette produced using banana and locust bean peels as binders

Abstract

Briquetting offers an efficient way to utilize agricultural and forestry waste, reducing the reliance on traditional fuels and minimizing pollution associated with their burning. Furthermore, briquette production can create employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas. This study aims to evaluate the production and performance of the briquettes made from charcoal dust (CD), banana peels (BP) and locust bean peels (LP) as sustainable alternatives to conventional fuels. Proximate analysis parameters evaluated include: moisture content, volatile matter, ash content and fixed carbon and these parameters are critical in determining the quality and combustibility of the briquettes. The samples were prepared in the following ratios: 85%CD: 15BP, 80%CD: 20BP, 75%CD: 25BP, 70%CD: 30BP for banana peels binder and 85%CD: 15LP, 80%CD: 20LP, 75%CD: 25LP, 70%CD: 30LP for locust bean peels binder. The results are in the average of 10.3 ± 2.6% (BP) and 3.0% ± 1.2% (LP), 26.7% ± 0.5% (BP) and 19.2% ± 5.9% (LP), 13.7% ± 2.4% (BP) and 10.4 ± 1.6% (LP) and 48.8% ± 6.9% (BP) and 54.9% ± 6.7% (LP) respectively. The briquettes samples recorded low moisture content, high volatile matter, low ash content and high fixed carbon content for both BP and LP but LP exhibit slightly better performance than BP and the results when compared with others studies  have  overall  relative  improvement. Briquettes, especially mass briquettes, have a wide range application, primarily as a fuel source in both domestic and industrial settings. They can be used for cooking, heating, and even electricity generation.