Characteristics of Ten Selected Ugandan Bio-Wastes Under Ultimate Analysis for Briquettes Production

Ten Ugandan bio-waste agricultural residues were characterized under the ultimate analysis to determine their elemental constitution. The Eltra CHS-580 (Thermo-graphical Analyzer) was employed for determination of carbon, hydrogen and sulphur; while nitrogen the method of protein analysis was used. The atomic absorption spectroscopy technique (NEN6465 Dutch Standard) was employed for Calcium, sodium, potassium, and silicon and the colorimetric method was used for phosphorous. The moisture and ash content were determined using the Eltra Thermostep ? Thermographic analyzer.The focus was to determine whether the eleven characteristics (content by percentage of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium, potassium, sodium, silicon, ash and moisture) in the ten selected Ugandan bio-wastes had a relationship among them to project a high Carbon (c2) value for the bio-waste briquette production. The contribution and difference between a fuel?s fixed carbon under proximate analysis and its constituent elemental carbon under ultimate analysis is presented and explained in the context of the ten bio-residues data. Using stata, the bio ? waste ultimate analysis property values were regressed as independent variables against the carbon content c2. Statistical analysis showed hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulphur and ash content constitution to be very significant at 95% confidence level in the bootstrapping-quantile regression model. A regression model equation was established from the analysis and in agreement with established scientific literature. The Kruskal-Wallis equality-of-populations rank test was employed to select bio-wastes residues with high carbon content for briquettes production. sunflower seed cake (sf), palm nut trash (pm), saw-dust (sd), ground-nut husks (gh), Cotton seed cake (cs), Cotton de-coated seed trash (cd), Maize cob trash (mc), Coffee husks (ch) were selected. Millet husks (mh) and rice husks (rh) were rejected owing to poor briquette fuel characteristics (low carbon value, high volatile matter and ash content) to harness for metallurgical application like reduction of iron ore.