Bamboo Wastes Make An Excellent Charcoal Briquette
This was learned from Dr. Stanley C. Malab, a professor and scientist at the Mariano Marcos State University and the director of Ilocos Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (ILARRDEC), both located in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.
Dr. Malab headed a research team that perfected the process of making charcoal briquettes out of bamboo wastes. What makes it more interesting is that the researchers have used effluent from the processing of “chichacorn” (boiled glutinous white corn kernels and deepfried) as binder.
Dr. Malab said that since all the materials are considered wastes, they did not only come up with an affordable charcoal briquette but also maximize the utilization of bamboo plant. It also reduces the volume of wastes generated from clearing operations of bamboo stands, and from processing of bamboo into furniture and other products wherein 20 to 40 percent are thrown into waste or burned in the environment.
Called kawayan charcoal briquette (KCB), it was one of the products showcased by ILARRDEC at the 1st National Techno Gabay Summit held last July at SMX Convention Center in Pasay City. The summit was hosted by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology.
Dr. Malab said that KCB has higher density than biomass fuels, can be
stored without fear of insects, has excellent cooking properties for it burns evenly longer and is easily extinguished or reheated, and can be used everyday for cooking. It is also a low-cost alternative to conventional charcoal, environment friendly, and can become a source of income for poor families in the rural areas. It has the following specifications:
Name of product : Kawayan Char coal Briquette
Size : 3.78 cm diameter x 4.88 cm long
Friability : 10.67%
Compression strength : 97 kg
Density : 46.5 g/cc
Ash content : 7-12%
Heat value : 7,000-9,000 BTU/lb
Bulk density : 359 kg/m3
Time to boil 1L water : 6-7 minutes
Burning time : 2.5 hours
Fumes : white to clear
No. of pieces/kg : 40
How is KCB done? Dr. Malab shares the following procedures:
1. Collect the dead poles and branches from bamboo clumps, and processing wastes such as trimmings and shavings. On the other hand, chichacorn effluents are available from the chichacorn makers all throughout Ilocos region. Collect the effluent from the first and third washings of the boiled corn kernels and
2. Carbonize the bamboo wastes to convert these into charcoal, a blackish and porous product which contains 85 to 89 percent carbon. It is done by burning using the drum method followed by cooling off of the charred materials in closed metal containers. Pit method can also be used for this purpose. Dig a small square pit measuring approximately one meter wide and 0.5 meter deep, and place the raw bamboo materials inside. Start the fire from the bottom and gradually cover the pit with rice hull until the fire is extinguished. Cool off charred materials in metal containers.
3. Using a peanut sheller converted as shredder, shred or pulverize the charcoal to attain even sizes of particles. This will help in the uniform mixing of the binders and the charcoal particles.
4. To prepare the binder, mix 2.5 liters of effluent to one kilogram of charcoal. In areas where effluent is not available, cornstarch can be used as substitute in 6 percent mixture. This means that 1 kilo of bamboo charcoal needs 60 grams of gelatinized cornstarch. The weight of water needed is 60 percent of the weight of the raw material.
5. Mix thoroughly the binder with the charcoal and mold immediately. Dr. Malab and his team have used the piston-type molders. Compress the molded mixture at 10/cm2.
6. Sundry the briquettes for one to two days. Continue drying under the shade until they reach equilibrium moisture content.
Charcoal briquette is sold at R10 per kilo. If one has to invest in the production of kawayan charcoal briquettes, Dr. Malab reported a P100,000 required capital for the machineries, aside from the P44,350 production cost for making an average of 12,000 kilos of charcoal briquettes for one year. The payback period is 1.45 years.
October 8th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Very much interested on dr. Malab’s charcoal briquettes making. only question is how to compress mixture at 10/cm2. and also, how do you make the molder.
thanks a lot,
Dennis Lainez
October 8th, 2008 at 3:32 am
By the way gentlemen, i will be using coco charcoal fines… instead of bamboo. is it possible? bamboos are also abundant in our area…
thanks,
dennis lainez
October 29th, 2008 at 9:25 am
As a retired engineer, I live in a Colombian rural area where bamboo is abundant. Wood from native tree species and all type of other organic material are also plenty.
Traditionally, many farmers, as a way of life, have processed wood charcoal in very rudimentary clay ovens. That traditional process is now practically banned as Colombian laws are becoming highly strict protecting the environment.
To replace employment lost by legal restrictions, as well as to contribute to protect the environment, I am developing a project using renewable raw materials to make charcoal briquets out of all types of waste wood, coffee skin, tropical flower leaves and stems, sugar cane bagasse, weed, etc. Bamboo would be an excellent source of raw material.
I will appreciate all information that readers would like to share to give me ideas to develop a good and self-sustainable project. I am funding the project out of my budget as part of the social work as a member of a local Rotary club.
Olmedo Ochoa, Pereira, Colombia
olmedo.ochoa@floral-paradise.com, oochoao@gmail.com