CHARACTERIZATION OF PELLETS PRODUCED FROM RICE BRAN AND CORNCOB
Abstract
Production of pellet from biomass as gained interest of researchers in recent times due to their carbon-neutral characteristics. Problems such as low density and bulkiness inhibit their use as solid biofuels. This study produced and characterized pellets from rice bran (RB) and corncob using a pelleting machine. RB was collected from a rice milling factory in Ilorin, Nigeria and corncob was collected from a farm in Ogbomoso, Nigeria. The corncobs were hammer milled. Then both the hammer milled corncob and RB were sieved with BS 14 sieve and mixed with starch additive at 5% by weight. Pellets were then produced from the starched RB and corncob. The pellets produced from both materials were evaluated for pellet length, bulk density, proximate composition (moisture, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon contents) and higher heating value. The mean values of pellet length, bulk density and moisture, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon contents and higher heating values were: (39.90 mm, 0.367 g/cm3, 14.30%db, 32.60%, 18.20% 34.90% and 17.69MJ/kg) and (14.90 mm, 0.166g/cm3, 11.60%db, 72.10%, 14.30%, 2.00% and 16.92 MJ/kg) for RB and corncob pellets, respectively. The results revealed that both materials can be used as raw material for solid biofuels.
