Valorization of Pineapple Post-Harvest Residues and Sawdust Waste into Fuel Briquettes

Faced with the problem of climate change, which is reflected in deforestation, desertification, greenhouse gas emissions and the poor management of agricultural waste, this study was part of a process to convert agricultural waste into a high value-added product. We therefore produced fuel briquettes from pineapple post-harvest residues and sawdust waste in order to reduce the enormous pressure on the forests and to find another use for this poorly managed waste. The methodology we adopted was to determine the lignocellulosic components of pineapple leaves and sawdust waste. The results of this characterisation allow us to affirm that these two biomasses contain enough lignin (about 30%) and consequently, their association can give combustible briquettes with a good calorific value. In order to optimise production, a mixing plan was adopted to generate the composition of the different fuel briquette trials. They are made of pineapple leaves, sawdust waste and clay as binding agent. In this study, the waste was carbonised in a carboniser designed for this purpose. After the production of the briquettes, physical parameters and energy performance tests were carried out to determine the best quality briquettes. After these tests, the fuel briquettes have more acceptable characteristics compared to other fuel briquettes obtained in the literature. Only briquette B4 meets all the measured parameters perfectly and is therefore considered the best with a calorific value of 21.38 MJ/kg ; a value very close to that of charcoal. The second order polynomial model with minitab is explicit as the theoretical and measured values are not far from each other.