CHARCOAL BRIQUETTE FROM RIVER RED GUM

Abstract

A preliminary study on charcoal briquettes of River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) was conducted by using materials taken from FIO Dankhuntod Plantation in Nakhon Ratchasima. Materials used (trunk, large and small branches, twig, leaf and bark) were collected from 10 year-old plantations planted at a spacing of 2 x 8 m. All samples were carbonized in an electrical furnace at 450 °C. The charcoal was compressed to a cylindrical form of 3.2 x 4.5 cm using 7.6 % starch. It was found that charcoal yield from all parts of River Red Gum excluding bark was 28 - 29 %. The charcoal properties of large and small branches were similar to common wood charcoal available in the market. The charcoal from twig, leaf and bark contained a high content of ash and were considered unsuitable for cooking. The densities of charcoal briquette ranged between O.45 and 055 g/cm³. Results showed that charcoal briquette when dropped onto a concrete floor and the impact of 1.6 kg weight were satisfactory. Results also showed that the water boiling test indicated that all charcoal briquettes provided no smoke. The time taken to boil water was about 3 minutes longer than using mangrove charcoal and the heat utilization efficiency was 26 - 28 %. The physical properties and heat utilization efficiency of bark charcoal was relatively low. It was suggested that the bark should not be added into any charcoal briquettes.