Abstract:
The objectives of this research was to study the production of biomass briquette by extrusion
technique. Raw materials used in this work were the trunk and the branch ofjatropha mixed with the
waste product from postharvest such as rice husk, bagasse, cassava shell and corncob. Two type of
glutinous mass used as the binder was made from powder and molasses. They are throughly mixed
to fuel particles with the mass ratio of fuel particles to binder as 80 : 15 and 85 : 20. Before mix
with the binder, the raw materials was reduced the dimension by the grinder until they were smaller
than 3 mrn. The mass ratios between the jatropha and the waste product from postharvest that used
in this experiment were 75 : 10,65 : 20, 55 : 30,45 : 40,70: 10,60: 20, 50: 30 and 40: 40 depend
on each testing condition. After produce biomass briquettes were carried out under various
coditions, its properties in terms of heating value, density and compressive strength were
investigated and found that heating value increased with an increase in the jatropha particles. At the
same mixture ratio, the heating value of the briquette used powder as the binder was slightly higher
than that one used the molasses. The density and compressive strength of the briquette used powder
as binder was lower than that one used the molasses. The heating value of the briquette were in the
range of 11.54 - 15.36 MJ/kg. The density and the compressive strength of the briquette were in the
range of 1142 - 1565 kg/m3 and 0.46-2.46 MPa respectively. The highest heating value of the
briquette was produced at mass ratios of the jatropha to the corncob to powder binder as 75 : 10: 15
while the highest compressive strength briquette was produced at the mass ratios of the jatropha to
corncob to molasses binder as 40:40:20. In the second part of this research, the extrusion machine
design and constructed with power of motor 5 kW which is less than the power of the extrusion
machine that used in the first part 5 kW. It was found that the suitable ratio of jatropha : concob :
powder binder were 75 : 10 : 15. The heating value obtained from this ratio was highest. It should
be noted that the heating value, density and compressive strength of the briquette were close to
those properties obtain from the extrusion machine with the motor power of 10 kW used in the first
part of experiment. For energy consumption, it was found that the extrusion machine constructed
with power of motor 5 kW has energy consumption rate less than the extrusion machine constructed
with power of motor 10 kW. Finally part, the shape of biomass briquette that suitable for using in
gasification process was investigated. It found that the briquettes in cylindrical shape that has the
hole through its center was the most proper for gasification process.