Optimizing Corn-Starch–Bonded Palm Shell Biochar Briquettes for Circular Bioenergy Applications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62671/circulizer.v1i1.246Keywords:
palm shell waste; biochar briquettes; circular bioenergy; starch binder; agricultural residues; renewable solid fuel.Abstract
Rapid expansion of palm oil cultivation in Southeast Asia has generated substantial volumes of palm shell residues that remain underutilized within circular production systems. Although briquetting technologies offer promising waste-to-energy pathways, empirical evidence regarding the performance implications of bio-based starch binders under decentralized manufacturing conditions remains limited. This study investigates the production of palm shell biochar briquettes using corn starch as a natural adhesive and evaluates how varying binder proportions influence moisture content, ash content, burning rate, and peak burning temperature relative to Indonesian National Standards. Four formulations with constant charcoal mass and systematically varied starch dosages were fabricated through batch carbonization, grinding, sieving, molding, and solar drying, followed by standardized fuel-quality testing. The results demonstrate that starch dosage exerts a non-linear influence on briquette performance: low binder levels promoted high combustion temperatures and reduced moisture but were associated with elevated ash contents, whereas high starch additions minimized ash formation at the expense of increased moisture retention and reduced thermal output. Among the tested formulations, the 60 g starch mixture provided the most balanced overall performance and the strongest conformity with regulatory thresholds. These findings confirm the technical feasibility of starch-bonded palm shell briquettes as renewable solid fuels and underscore the importance of formulation optimization for circular bioenergy deployment in palm-producing regions. The study offers practical guidance for small-scale producers and contributes to broader efforts to integrate agricultural-residue valorization into localized circular-economy systems.
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