Beatriz Julia G. Solivio, Kathlene Marie C. Subade (February 2009)
Philippine Science High School Western Visayas Campus – Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PSHS WVC), Brgy. Bito-on, Jaro, Iloilo City 5000, Philippines
ABSTRACT
Grasses have been identified as ideal for fuel production due to high net energy yield per hectare and low cost of production. Pelleting is relatively simple and inexpensive means for upgrading energy quality. This study aims to produce grass fuel pellets from Saccharum spontaneum (Talahib). It specifically aims to produce grass fuel pellets and to describe the produced pellet in terms of the type of binder used, grass: binder: water proportion, destiny, dimensions, strength, ash content, moisture content, amount of fines and combustibility. Grass was collected from the coastal areas of Brgy. Balabago-Bito-on Jaro, Iloilo City. The binder and the proportion of the mixture were determined using experimental designing. The pellet design that had satisfying results in the preliminary tests was subjected to the parameter testing. The proportion of the mixture used is 1.5:1.5:0.75 of the grass, cornstarch and molasses, respectively. The produced pellet design did not pass the standards for wood pellets in terms of density, dimensions, strength, ash content and moisture content. The density, ash content and moisture content of the pellets produced were higher in value than the standard for wood pellets. The strength of the pellet produced did not reach 18 kilograms which is the standard for wood pellets but the amount of fines of the pellets produced passed the standard for wood pellets. Saccharum spontaneum was used to produce biomass fuel pellets, but the quality of the pellet is not good enough because of various factors.