Abstract:
All human beings are use materials for their continuous life. However, they threw away
after use rather than using as re-use, re-cycle or changing to energy without thinking of
about environment or sustainability of the eco-system. By considering such problem this
study done on alternative Eco-friendly energy production from khat waste using sample
of khat waste to minimize environmental pollution caused by solid waste and charcoal
production from forest trees. Therefore, the study conducted to recover energy potential
from khat waste by producing briquette from its char using banana peel as a binder. In
the study sample of khat waste, banana peels and water have used by using purposive
sampling technique. The study achieved using primary and secondary data source that
combination of experimental, quantitative and qualitative. To determine carbonization
efficiency, temperature and time 9, 18 and 27 kg of sample was dried and carbonized in
200 L kiln that found in Jimma Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization Research
Center. Then produced carbonized material mixed with binder of the ratios 0.33:0.67:3,
0.67:0.33:3, 0.33:0.67:4, 0.67:0.33:4, 0.33:0.67:5 and 0.67:0.33:5 (water to banana peel
to carbonized khat waste material) and briquetted to determine proximate characteristics
and calorific values with each ratio. For molding the mixed materials extruder machine,
that found in Jimma Agricultural Engineering and Mechanization Research Center used.
Then briquetted samples have taken to Geological Survey of Ethiopia for determination of
proximate characteristics and energy potential. Therefore, from the results 51.89 ± 1.02,
56.55 ± 1.57 and 52.28 ± 0.46 % carbonize efficiency was gained at temperature of 200,
325 and 450 within 35, 50 and 70 minutes from 9, 18 and 27 kg khat waste samples
respectively. From all mixing ratios used to bind the carbonized material from khat
waste, 0.33:0.67:4 was best ratio due to the gained energy potential was 23.8 ± 0.03 KJ/g
which greater than the other rest ratios of energy potential. The proximate characteristics
gained from this mixing ratio were 16.24 ± 0.34, 57.33 ± 0.38, 18.32 ± 0.27 and 8.05 ±
0.22 % for AC, FC, VM and MC respectively and 0.61 ± 0.01 cc/g of BD and 0.06 ± 0.00
% of SC. Generally, the results gained from the laboratory in this research were in line
with the standard of (FAO 1987 and 1999) with all mixing ratios. Therefore, the study
result showed that charcoal briquetting from khat waste using banana peels as a binder is
good option of minimizing solid waste rather than threw it to the street and fill to the land
fill. In addition, it is the best alternative of energy source rather than producing charcoal
from forest tree that cause increase of global warming.
