Abstract:
This study is on the use of palm oil sludge as binder in the production of sawdust briquettes. The specific objectives of the research are to establish the optimum proportion of palm oil sludge as binders, determine the quality parameters of the briquettes and evaluate the effects of varying proportions of palm oil sludge in briquetting. This research also exploited the dual potentiality of palm oil sludge as binder and combustible material. Palm oil sludge was collected from palm oil processing industry in Okitipupa. The sawdust samples were collected from Ciab sawmill in Akure. Sawdust samples were obtained from two different wood species: Araba (Ceiba Pentandra and Apa (Afzelia Africana). The Palm oil sludge was dried and milled. Sawdust mixtures were produced by mixing sawdust and dried palm oil sludge in
percentage ratio. Three sawdust samples at 10.1, 14 and 17.8% moisture levels were each mixed with palm oil sludge to get mixtures containing 10, 20,30.40 and 50% sludge proportion by weight. Samples without palm oil sludge were also prepared. Briquettes were made at pressures of 13.5, 18.7 and 25.0MPa hold times 5,10 and 20 seconds and temperatures of 32.5 and 60°C. For each briquette sample, the quality parameters were determined such as handling durability, densities (compressed and relaxed), ash content, comparative rate of weight loss during combustion and moisture content. The relaxed density was found to be highest for sawdust mixture at 14% moisture content. The relationship between applied pressures and compressed
density of briquette was established as being exponential. The ash content of
briquettes increased as sludge proportion increasesd. The handling durability of
the briquette increased with increasing sludge proportion between 20-50% by
weight. Araba sawdust produced more durable briquettes than Apa. From the research, the optimum proportion of palm oil sludge as binder was established to be 30% by weight, moisture of 14% hold time of 20s and pressure of 25.0Mpa.
