Development and characterisation of charcoal briquettes from water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)-molasses blend

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 9;13(11):e0207135. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207135. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Charcoal briquettes are inexpensive solid fuels made from carbonized biomass. The potential of converting water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) charcoal into briquettes with molasses as binder was investigated in this study. Dried water hyacinth was carbonized at a temperature between 350°C to 500°C in a fabricated fine biomass carbonizer. A solution containing 80% by weight molasses was used in the production of briquettes having different charcoal/molasses ratios of 40:60, 30:70, and 20:80. Each briquette was characterized in terms of bulk density, calorific value, compressive strength, proximate analysis and micro-structure by Scanning Electron Microscopy. Charcoal briquettes were tested for their flammable characteristics through their burning rates and ignition time. Altering the molasses to charcoal ratio affected the quality and characteristics of the briquettes. Volatile combustible matter and fixed carbon increased with increasing amount of binder while ash content decreased. The 30:70 charcoal/molasses ratio produced the highest calorific value (16.6 MJ/kg) and compressive strength (19.1 kg/cm2). The results have shown the potential of converting water hyacinth into an alternative fuel source.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biofuels* / analysis
  • Carbon / analysis
  • Charcoal* / analysis
  • Eichhornia* / ultrastructure
  • Fires
  • Materials Testing
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Molasses*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Temperature
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Biofuels
  • Charcoal
  • Carbon

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, University of Philippines-Visayas to JP. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.