Characterization of Three Lignocellulosic Biomass Materials as Novel Binders in Briquette Production

With the global increase in population, energy demand has outweighed the available energy resources and has compelled people to seek alternative energy sources. Based on this, coupled with the interest to curtail nonrenewable fuels, biomass briquetting has emerged as a sustainable means of harnessing energy from biomass. One of the most pertinent aspects of briquette production is selecting and using the appropriate binder. Hence, a good understanding of the properties of binders is important. This paper characterized three biomass materials (sweet potato peel, locust bean pulp, and locust bean husk) as novel binders in briquette production. The parameters characterized are gross calorific value, proximate (moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, and fixed carbon), and ultimate parameters (Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Sulfur). To ascertain the veracity of the characterization, briquettes were produced using the three binders. The findings from the characterization showed that the biomass materials have calorific value between 21.26 and 34.48 MJ/kg, volatile matter between 58.6% and 84.2%, ash content between 5.5% and 16.3%, and fixed carbon between 3.5% and 15.1%. The major elemental constituents are carbon, between 35.0% and 40.5%, and oxygen between 36.97% and 43.74%. The findings from the briquette’s quality metrics showed a maximum compressed density of 0.67 g/cm3, impact resistance index of 50%, and compressive strength of 360 kN/m2. Thus, the study recommends the use of gelatinized sweet potato peel, locust bean pulp, and locust bean husk as binders in briquette production.