Effect of Starch and Gum Arabic Binders in the Combustion Characteristics of Briquette prepared from Sawdust

Abstract

The effect of starch and gum arabic as binders in the combustion characteristics of briquette prepared from sawdust of different ratios was investigated. Briquettes of sawdust were produced by mixing with different binders and agglomerate using starch paste and gum arabic. The mixture was compressed at 110kN using manually operated hydraulic briquette machine and sun dried. Water boiling test was employed to obtain percentage heat uti-lized, specific fuel consumption and time spent to boil 1kg water. The calorific value, the volatile matter and flame temperature were determined. Results showed that the briquette formed using starch as a binder performed better in all aspect than the gum arabic.