CHARCOAL MAKING AND QUALITY OF CHARCOAL FROM MANGROVE TIMBERS BY SMALL BRICK KILN KIND

Abstract

This article concerns about the charcoal making and luality assesment of charcoal from 9 species of mangrove timbers including branches and roots of Rhizophora spp, The study aims at the improvement of charcoal making from mangrove timbers.

The results of the study indicated that charcoal making by using the temperature instrument, reveals the reaction of wood carbonization process in the kiln better than the smoke observation. The charcoal obtained from this method is more uniform in both quantity and quality, The proximate analysis of the chemical constituents of charcoal disclosed that fixed carbon content level was proportional to

burning time and maximum temperature of the kiln: From the determination of quality of charcoal for household cooking demonstrated that work done for all charcoal was of nearly the same order and was proportional to heating value, Charcoal burning rate depends entirely on the density of charcoal. There fore the burning rate should be used for determing the quality of charcoal for household cooking, Heating value of charcoal from various mangrove species ranged from 6,400 to 7,600 cal/g based on oven dry weight which is higher than that of wood. This value was proportional to fixed carbon content but was independent of species.

Based on charcoal quality evaluation, the species that yielded charcoal of equal quality level as charcoal from Rhizophora spp. Are Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, B. parviflora, ceriops tagal, Lumnitzera littorea and also branches and roots of Rhizophora spp.  Species that yielded lower quality charcoal are Xylocarpus moluccensis, X. granatum and Sonnertia alba.