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The Study Of Properties Of Briquette Produced From Groundnut Shell Coal Blend
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These agricultural wastes they encounter during clearing of land for
farming or during processing of agricultural produce are usually burnt
off. By this practice,
not only that the useful raw materials are wasted, it further pollutes the environment and reduces soil fertility.
On
the other hand, the majority of the huge materials are not suitable to
be used directly as fuel without undergoing some processes. This is
probably as a result of inappropriate density and high moisture contents
and these factors may cause problems in transportation, handling and
storage. Most of these wastes are left to decompose or when they are
burnt, there would be environmental pollution and degradation
(Jekayinfa, and Omisakin, 2005). Researchers have shown that lots of
potential energies are abounding in these residues (Fapetu, 2000).
Hence, there is a need to convert these wastes into forms that can
alleviate the problems they pose when use directly. An assessment of the
potential availability of selected residues from maize, cassava,
millet, plantain, groundnuts, sorghum, oil palm, palm kernel, and
cowpeas for possible conversion to renewable energy in Nigeria has been
made (Jekayinfa and Scholz, 2009).
However, these health hazard faced
by people from the use of fuel wood, along with the agricultural wastes
management and reduction of pressure mounted on the forest can be
mitigated if Nigeria will switch over to production and utilization of
bio-coal briquette; a cleaner, and environmental friendly fuel wood
substitute made from agricultural wastes and coal. Moreover, this will
offer a good potential for utilization of a large coal reserve in
Nigeria for economic diversification and employment generation through
bio-coal briquette.
In countries like Japan, China and India, it was
observed that agricultural waste (agro residues) can also be briquetted
and used as substitute for wood fuel. Every year, millions of tonnes of
agricultural waste are generated. These are either not used or burnt
inefficiently in their loose form causing air pollution to the
environment. The major residues are rice husk, corn cob, coconut shell,
jute stick, groundnut shell, cotton stalk, etc. These wastes provide
energy by converting into high-density fuel briquettes. These briquettes
are very cheap, even cheaper than coal briquettes. Adoption of
briquette technology will not only create a safe and hygienic way of
disposing the waste, but turn into a cash rich venture by converting
waste into energy and also contributing towards a better environment.
Coal
can be blended with a small quantity of these agricultural waste (agro
residues) to produce briquettes (bio-coal briquettes) which ignites
fast, burn efficiently, producing little or no smoke and are cheaper
than coal briquettes.
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