Author(s)

Stephen J. Mitchual, Kwasi Frimpong-Mensah, Nicholas A. Darkwa

Department of Construction and Wood Technology Education, University of Education, Winneba, Kumasi Campus, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Wood Science and Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

This study examined the relationship between selected physico-mechanical properties, compacting pressure and mixing proportion of briquettes produced from combination of maize cob particles and sawdust of low, medium and high density timber species. Particle sizes of maize cobs and sawdust used for the study were ≤1 mm. The two materials were combined at mixing percentages of 90:10, 70:30 and 50:50 (Sawdust:maize cobs). Briquettes were produced at room temperature (28°C) using compacting pressures 20, 30, 40 and 50 MPa. The results suggested that combining maize cob particles with sawdust of low, medium and high density wood species could significantly enhance the relaxed density, compressive strength in cleft and impact resistance index of briquettes produced from agricultural biomass residue like maize cobs. The results further indicated that the physical and mechanical characteristics of briquettes produced from combinations of sawdust of low density species and maize cobs were exceptionally higher than that produced from combinations of maize cob particles, and medium density and high density timber species. The R² values for the regression model between the independent variables (mixing percentage and compacting pressure) and relaxed density, compressive strength in cleft and impact resistance index of briquettes produced from combinations of maize cob particles and sawdust of low density species (Ceiba pentandra) were 0.966, 0.932 and 0.710 respectively. This study provides a hope for briquetting maize cobs at room temperature using a low compacting pressure.

Briquette; Compacting Pressure; Maize Cobs; Mixing Proportions; Physico-Mechanical Properties; Sawdust

J. Mitchual, S. , Frimpong-Mensah, K. and A. Darkwa, N. (2014) Relationship between Physico-Mechanical Properties, Compacting Pressure and Mixing Proportion of Briquettes Produced from Maize Cobs and Sawdust. Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems, 4, 50-60. doi: 10.4236/jsbs.2014.41005.