PHYSICOCHEMICAL, MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES EVALUATION OF BIOFUEL PELLETS FROM SAGO BARK AND ACACIA MANGIUM WASTES

Abstract

The demand for raw materials for biofuel pellet is growing, causing an increase in the costs of purchase and production. Fuel pellet is one of the solid fuels that can overcome the shortcomings of energy crisis. Therefore, studies on the potential of various biomass sources as a raw material is essential to fulfil the demand. The objective of this study is to determine the energy properties of pellet produced from sago and Acacia mangium wastes and their mixtures. The influence of pelletisation on physical, mechanical and thermal characteristics of pellet were properly investigated. The pellets produced were found characteristically to have a higher calorific value (17.5–18.3 MJ kg^-1) which is comparable to the European (EN) (>16.5–19 MJ kg^-1) and Korean standards (>4300 kCal kg^-1) requirements. The optimal properties of biofuel pellets with a sago bark content of 50% and less, such as durability (97.5–99.3%), ash (1.42–1.43%), sulphur (0.04%) and chlorine (0.08–0.17%) contents, were found to be better compared to biofuel pellets of higher sago bark content. These findings satisfied the international EN and Korean standards for export market. The current study demonstrated the potential of producing sustainable energy sources from the biomass mixture of sago and A. mangium, which may prove to be a competitive substitute for fossil fuels.