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Briquettes from Agricultural Waste
admin March 20, 2024 0 Comments

Producing Briquettes from Agricultural Waste (Waste to Solution)

How do you make briquettes from agricultural waste?

All over the world, various agricultural resources are produced in millions of tons annually. This means that the industry generates large quantities of residues, which are rarely utilized for other purposes than being left in fields to rot or to be burned. India is making initiatives to convert agricultural waste into valuable fuel.

If some of this agricultural waste was briquette and utilized as a source of clean and renewable energy, instead of wood or charcoal, it could have both environmental – and health benefits. Briquettes from agricultural waste can be used for cooking purposes, and for fuels to generate heat, steam, or electricity.

Types of Agricultural Waste Suitable for Briquetting

Agricultural wastes and forestry

Rice Straw Briquette Production

After rice is harvested, its by-product, rice straw, is often burned or discarded. Transforming rice straw into briquettes provides a practical solution for cooking and heating in both households and industrial settings. 

This process includes shredding, drying, and compressing the straw into cylindrical shapes with either a screw or piston press, resulting in briquettes that boast high heat value, minimal ash, and low moisture.

Wheat Straw Briquette Crafting

Similar to rice straw, wheat straw—a common agricultural residue—can also be repurposed into fuel briquettes. The production method mirrors that of rice straw briquettes, although wheat straw might need additional binders to enhance the briquettes’ durability and structural integrity.

Cotton Stalk Briquette Making

Cotton stalks, left over after the cotton harvest, typically end up being burned or decomposing in fields, contributing to air pollution and soil deterioration. Briquetting these stalks transforms them into a clean, efficient fuel source, thereby leveraging otherwise wasted material.

Corn Stalk Briquetting

Corn stalks, the remnants of corn plants post-harvest, are generally utilized as animal feed or fertilizer. However, converting them into briquettes serves as an alternative fuel source, offering a sustainable energy solution.

Sugarcane Waste Briquetting

Bagasse, the fibrous waste from sugar cane after juice extraction, often finds use in paper production or is simply burned. Briquetting this material into fuel presents an eco-friendly alternative, making effective use of this by-product.

Briquetting Process and Technology

Raw-Material

We gather biomass waste from farms and woodlands to use as the primary input for our briquette production.

Crushing

Crusher Machine

The next phase is preparing the material for the briquette press. We crush the biomass to a smaller size that’s just right for the machine we’re using. Equipment like chipper grinders, shredders, and hammer mills come in handy here.

Drying

DRYER

Then, we move on to drying. It’s important because for briquettes, we need the biomass to have a moisture content of just 8-12%. We pick from flash dryers or rotary dryers, depending on how wet the material is and its bulk.

Briquettes

After the biomass goes through the cooling line, it becomes solid briquettes, all set for use. We then get these briquettes to the market, in bags or as is, tailored to how they’ll be used. The kind of biomass we start with will determine the price point.

Environmental Benefits and Impact

  • Wood Briquettes Help Prevent Deforestation
  • Briquettes Can Help Reduce Landfill Waste
  • Briquette Production Creates Jobs in Rural Areas
  • Biomass Briquettes Can Improve Air Quality
  • Biomass Briquettes Reduce Dependence on Fossil Fuels