Solid fuel from Co-briquetting of sugarcane bagasse and rice bran

Solid fuel from co-briquetting of SCB and RB was investigated in this study. The effects of compression pressure (8, 10 and 12 MPa) and briquette formulation (varying SCB-RB fractions, 0-1 w/w) on the quality and characteristics of briquettes were determined under fixed compression temperature (150 degrees C), time (30 min), and rate (0.34 MPa/s). Effects of initial biomass composition on the mechanical properties, fuel characteristics and quality of the briquettes produced were also studied. Briquetting of SCB and RB resulted in an improvement of the bulk density up to 1.1939 g/cm(3) (corresponding to a compressive strength of at least 5.12 kgf/mm(2)) and in the reduction of the equilibrium moisture to as low as <5 %w/w. Moreover, the physical and chemical characteristics of SCB and RB were found to have significant influence on the quality and characteristics of the briquettes produced, with its inherent structure and components improving briquette strength and serving as natural binders, respectively. Mechanical densification didn't result in changes in the combustion characteristics of the residues as fuel, further improvement may be required if used in existing industrial boilers and burners. Nevertheless, the briquettes produced using SCB and RB meet current standards for fuels intended for domestic use. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.