COMPARATIVE STUDIES OF PHYSICAL AND COMBUSTION CHARACTERISTICS OF RICE HUSK BRIQUETTES PRODUCED USING DIFFERENT BINDING AGENTS

Briquettes samples were manually produced using a hydraulic press from rice husk using starch and gum Arabic resin as binders. The proximate analysis of the samples reveals that the briquette produced using starch binder has the moisture value (9.26±0.251), Ash (16.29±0.172), Volatile matter (64.17±0.306), and fixed carbon content of (9.55±0.502) respectively whereas the gum Arabic bonded briquette has the moisture value (10.68±0.214), Ash (19.89±0.775), Volatile matter (60.84±0.250), and fixed carbon content of (8.26±0.535) respectively. The physical characteristics of the samples shows that the starch bonded briquette has the compressive strength of (0.668± 0.012 N/mm2), density (0.68±0,028 g/cm3), ignition time (0.17±0.01 cm/s), afterglow (313±6.123 sec), and calorific value (10.35±0.135 MJ/Kg) respectively whereas the gum Arabic bonded briquette has the compressive strength of (0.559±0.031 N/mm2), density (0.575±0.031 g/cm3), ignition time (0.13±0.007 cm/s), afterglow (187±7.035 sec), and calorific value (9.47±0.095 MJ/Kg) respectively. Water boiling test shows that both the starch and gum Arabic bonded briquettes boil water to 1000C at 18 and 22 minutes respectively. The thermal efficiency of the briquettes during water boiling test shows that the starch bonded briquette has the highest thermal efficiency.