The Development of Compressed Charcoal from Agricultural Residues,Uttaradit Province

Abstract

The objective of this research was 1) to evaluate an appropriate method and formula in compressedcharcoal production from agricultural residues with high efficiency under the community standards and 2) tocompare quality and valuable with charcoal produced from Eucalyptus tree. The research procedure was divided into3 stages: 1) An evaluation of the appropriate ratio and the formulas of the mix materials in compressed charcoal production which moisture and heat ability were same quality as ASTM standard, 2) An evaluation of the propertyof compressed charcoals which produced from single or the mix materials in varied ratio. The investigationwere performed on chemical property, physical property, inflammable property and combustion period, and3) Comparison between quality and economic value with the eucalyptus charcoal. The appropriate method toproduce the compressed charcoal was cold compress and the appropriated ratio was 5 percent of cassava with theground and sieved charcoal and 50-80 percentage water depending on the material. After that, the mixture was putinto the compressed iron with the temperature of 50-60 oC yielding the charcoal of 5.2 cm diameters with the holeof 1.5 cm. The chemical and the physical properties of the single material compressed charcoal showed that themoistures was less than 7 percentages and the heat value was over 5,500 calories/gram, except the rice husk charcoal,the heat was 3,470 calories/gram less than the community product standards and the charcoal from eucalyptus.On the other hand, all of the combined compressed charcoal showed the moistures in every formula of mix materialswere less than 7 percentages of weight and heat contents were higher than 5,500 calories/gram. The compressedcharcoal from corncob and rice husk charcoal in ratio of 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 showed the heat value less than communityproduct standards and the eucalyptus charcoal. The heat values were between 3,470 - 4,570 calories/gram, which washard to ignite and short combustion. Moreover, all of compressed charcoal from the mixed materials in 1:1 ratiopresented the highest heat. Whereas, the comparison of quality and economical value between compressed charcoalproduction from agricultural residues and from eucalyptus, all formula in this research presented lower qualitycomparing with charcoal from eucalyptus and the production cost was less.