PATCHOULI DISTILLATION WASTE–RICE HUSK BIOBRIQUETTES: BIOMASS COMPOSITION EFFECTS ON FUEL QUALITY

Abstract

Growing energy demand and the accumulation of agricultural and agro-industrial residues motivate the development of solid biofuels from locally available biomass. This study evaluated how three ratios of patchouli oil distillation waste (PW) and rice husk (RH)—20:80, 30:70, and 40:60—affected biobriquette moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, and combustion rate. Each formulation contained 12% tapioca adhesive and was compacted at 4,252 kPa. Three reported laboratory measurements per formulation were summarized descriptively as mean ± standard deviation, while combustion rate was represented by one reported value per formulation. Moisture increased from 12.78 ± 0.30% to 19.39 ± 0.61%, ash decreased from 41.19 ± 0.30% to 29.81 ± 1.79%, and volatile matter increased from 33.39 ± 0.20% to 47.07 ± 2.45% as the PW proportion increased. The reported combustion rate increased from 0.3028 to 0.5849 g/s. The 20% PW–80% RH formulation offered the lowest moisture content and slowest mass loss but the highest ash content, indicating a clear property trade-off rather than a universal optimum. All formulations exceeded the study’s SNI 01-6235-2000 benchmark limits for moisture, ash, and volatile matter. The findings support this waste combination as a preliminary biomass-valorization pathway and identify drying, carbonization, binder optimization, and broader fuel-quality testing as priorities before practical deployment.