All about briquetting technologies and practices
Many of the developing countries produce huge amount of agro waste but they are used inefficiently causing extensive pollution to the environment. The major residues are rice husk, coffee husk, coir pith, jute sticks, bagasse, groundnut shells, mustard stalks and cotton stalks. Apart from the problems of transportation, storage and handling the direct burning of loose biomass in conventional grates is associated with very low thermal efficiency and widespread air pollution. Briquetting of the husk could mitigate these pollution problems while at the same time making use of this important industrial/domestic energy resource.
Actually what is briquetting? The process of binding together pulverized minerals, such as all agro waste, into briquettes under pressure, often with the aid of a binder, such as asphalt is called briquetting. Briquettes are pieces having a uniform, geometric shape and practically identical weight made from briquetting process.
Historically, biomass briquetting technology has been developed in two distinct directions. Europe and the United States has pursued and perfected the reciprocating ram/piston press while Japan has independently invented and developed the screw press technology. Both the briquetting plant has merits. It was universally accepted that the screw pressed briquettes are far superior to the ram pressed solid briquettes in terms of their storability and combustibility.
t he technology of briquetting has progressed through development and introduction of new processes and intermediate stages, new binders, and new equipment, both for the production of a high-quality smokeless fuel for household use and for the manufacture of a fuel for continuous coking processes. But it was not so in India. With a view to improving the briquetting scene in India, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) - a finance granting agency has tried to finance many briquetting projects. But the fact is that these are not being used effectively due to lack of understanding of biomass characteristics. But as the time is passing the scenario is improving.
