Abstract:
The aims of this research are to study the production of the charcoal briquette from
left-over durian husks of the community enterprise of Khuanhuk district and help reduce the
expense for cooking gas of the households in the district. By employing the methods of interview
and questionnaire forms in order to gather and collect data from the sample population which is
30 members of the community enterprise of Khuanhuk district whom help produce the charcoal
briquette from the left-over durian husks and use it in their households.
The analysis of the data collected from the community enterprise of Khuanhuk district
shows that there are 30 members that consist of 5 males members and 25 females members with
the age ranging from 20-70 years old and live as families in which each family has 3 - 4 members
in it. They use both charcoal and gas for cooking purposes. The cooking gas they used comes in
the size of 15 litre and lasts 31-40 days and costs around 320 baht per canister.
The analysis of heat performance can be summarized that the charcoal briquette produced
by the community yields the heat value of 6,134 calorie per gram which was higher than standard
value and produces the ashes at 6.2 per cent by weight which, in terms of performance, complies
with the criteria of community product standards (CS. 238/2547).
The analysis for the reduction of cooking gas expense has found that if the
communitys members use only the 15-litre cooking gas, they will spend 8.18 baht per day for
daily cooking. This can be calculated into that they will have to spend 245.40 baht monthly.
But if they use both the charcoal and the cooking gas, they will spend only 6.80 baht daily or
204 baht per month. As a result, the usage of charcoal briquette produced by the community has
monthly saved 204 baht of the cooking gas bill for its members. From using the charcoal briquette
made from the durian husks that produced within the community has saved its members the
expenses of 41.40 baht per month per household. In one year, this will save 496.80 baht for the
cooking gas bill if they produce the charcoal that comes in the package with label for sales.
By producing the dried charcoal of 300 kilograms daily and sales it for 10 baht per kilogram,
the community enterprise will break even in 307 days.