Production of Loose Biomass Briquettes from Agricultural and Forestry Residues
Since the caveman used wood to create fire and keep himself warm, biomass has remained a key energy source. Beyond being an important cooking fuel in low-income countries and under-developed regions, biomass has evolved to become an important fuel for heating boilers and fueling industrial generators. Their forever availability makes it an important renewable fuel and a substitute for fossil fuel sources like coal, oil, and gas.
Since biomass materials are readily available and sustainable, they are cheaper than fossil fuels. This blog presents intricate details on the production of loose biomass briquettes from agriculture residues and forestry remains.
Composition of loose biomass briquettes
The composition of biomass briquettes varies based on the availability of loose biomass materials in that area. They are majorly made from organic materials like agricultural and forestry residues. Some of the common loose biomass materials include the following.
- Sawdust,
- Groundnut shell,
- Coffee husk,
- Rice husk,
- Peanut husk,
- Jute wastes,
- Mustard husk,
- Bagasse,
- Coir pith,
- Municipal wastes,
- Agro residues.
Agricultural residues and forestry remains are discarded as waste and piled in landfills. This ends up polluting the environment. Using such loose biomass materials to make biomass briquettes and pellets helps promote sustainable usage of agricultural waste on the one hand and alternative to fossil fuels on the other hand.
Promoting efficient use of wood processing remains and forest wastes help reduce deforestation and promote the recycling of wood wastes.
How to produce biomass briquettes from agricultural and forestry residues?
The biomass briquettes are made in the following steps using loose biomass materials like agricultural and forestry residues.
● Biomass materials sourcing
The first step to producing biomass briquettes from loose biomass materials is to source and collect agricultural wastes, wood chips, municipal wastes, and forestry residues.
● Crushing and grinding
The biomass materials are collected and crushed into fine pieces. The crushed loose biomass materials can be easily compressed and burnt for further processing. The quality of crushing impacts the quality of the biomass briquettes produced. Some materials, like rice husk or sawdust, do not require high-intensity crushing. But, crushing is needed when we use large-scale agro and forestry residues like wood chips. Crushing the loose biomass materials twice or thrice and drying them in between enhances the efficiency of the processes.
● Drying
Moisture content plays a crucial role in the preparation of biomass briquettes. It is important to ensure the right moisture content. In case the moisture content in loose biomass materials is low, it could be difficult to make the briquettes. On the other hand, if the moisture content is too high, the temperature may rise, leading to an explosion. The ultimate aim of this step is to lower the water content to the extent that it is optimal for the briquetting process.
● Briquetting mold
The loose biomass is then turned into a biomass briquette through the briquetting mold. The biomass is heated, compressed, and densified into briquettes during the process. Binders are also added to increase the bond strength between the loose biomass materials in the briquettes. The binders also increase the calorific content of the biomass briquettes.
Closing Thoughts
Using biomass briquettes from agricultural and forestry residues has several advantages over using loose biomass materials. As biomass materials are compressed to form biomass briquettes, their combustion efficiency improves multi-folds. This can also be attributed to the low moisture content in biomass briquettes. Biomass briquettes are easy to make, store, and transport and do not emit pollutive smoke. As they are cheaper and easily available, biomass briquettes have become a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Buyofuel is a leading supplier and manufacturer of biomass briquettes in Maharashtra. Buyofuel serves several industries in India, including cement manufacturing. Reach Us