AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
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Item Performance of briquettes produced from sawdust of gmelina arborea and montmorillonite clay as binder(Black Sea Agricultural Research Institute (KTAE) Samsun, Türkiye, 2023) Bello R.S.; Olorunnisola A.O.; Omoniyi T.E.; Onilude M.A.Clay had been used as binders in briquetting research activities, however their performance characterization in terms of quality and combustion have not been clearly evaluated or reported. This study therefore provide a qualitative evaluation of briquettes produced using sawdust of Gmelina arborea and montmorillonite clay. Sun-dried sawdust (~9% moisture contents) obtained from sawmills in Ishiagu, Ebonyi State were mixed with processed clay samples collected from earthen pot mould sites characterized, then used in briquette production using five mixing ratios of 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, & 50:50 (weight/weight)% and standard test procedures for characterization. Data were analyzed using SPSS at p< 0.05 significance levels. The quality characteristics of clay briquettes compared favourably with other binder types with an increase in performance as binder concentration increases. The briquettes combustion performance in air and stove are significantly affected by the agglomerated non-combustible clay particle impregnating the biomass matrix. Best combustion performance occurred at 10% binder concentration with no significant value-addition to ignition time, flame combustion and heating values. Above 10% binder addition, briquettes failed self-ignition, flame combustion, and retarded char combustion tests. This implied clay is a poor performing binder and the associated briquette are combustibly poor.Item Combustion characteristics of briquettes produced from three binders and torrefied gmelina arborea (robx.) sawdust(2023) Bello R.S.; Olorunnisola A.O.; Omoniyi T.E.; Onilude M.A.Considering the energy potential of briquettes, there are several undesired harmful qualities such as intense yellow flame and smoke. Torrefaction was deemed a suitable technological solution, therefore, the study investigated the combustion properties of briquettes made from Gmelina arborea sawdust and three binders used print paper (UPP), newsprint (Np) and clay (CL). Materials and Methods: Experiments were conducted using a hydraulic press and a biomass stove. The 3 torrefied feedstock samples (TS 30, TS 45 and TS 60 min) were mixed with binders at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50% w/w at 1.67 kPa applied pressure and 5 min residence period to produce briquettes. The results were statistically analyzed at significance level using ANOVA. Results: Briquette densities decreased with an increase in torrefaction time with strong positive correlations between densities of the same binder type, concentration and torrefaction time. An increase in binder concentration enhanced the combustion characteristics of UPP and Np briquettes positively, with significant negative effects on CL briquettes. Torrefied used printing paper briquette burns with non-luminous flame and reduced smokiness as binder concentration increases, while newsprints briquette produced excessive smokes. Briquettes produced from used printing papers at 45 min torrefaction had better performances in terms of energy values, product flammability and reduced smokiness. Clay-bonded briquettes had delayed ignition 7-10 min and failed to burn with flame, rather than by char combustion. Conclusion: Torrefaction time, binder type and concentration had significant positive effects on the combustion characteristics. Clay had poor effects on combustion characteristics.Item Development of a multiple-piston hydraulic briquetting press hbp and characterization of newsprint briquettes produced(2023) Bello R.S; Olorunnisola A.O.; Omoniyi T.E.; Onilude M.A.Technical complexity, power source, cost, and product value are some challenging considerations in briquetting. Most of the available briquetting options are not sustainable due to these challenges, therefore, improved intermediate technology options requiring low energy consumption, high-energy product and acceptable combustion characteristics to meet these challenges are justified by developing a multiple-piston hydraulic briquetting press (HBP) and characterizing the briquettes produced from Gmelina arborea sawdust and newsprint binder. Materials and Methods: Sorted Gmelina arborea sawdust was mixed with pulped newsprint fibers in 5 ratios 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50%, respectively, to produce briquettes. The briquettes were characterized using American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), British Standard (BS), and International Standards Organization (ISO) test procedures to determine briquette characteristics. Results: The machine output capacity was 96 briquettes/hour, with low production cost (NGN40, 000.00). The briquettes produced are structurally stable with dimensions: 15.00 mm internal hole, 80.00 mm external diameter, and 60.00 mm height. Low binder briquettes (90:10% wt/wt) are fragile and brittle, while higher binder briquettes are strong and durable. Binder concentration positively improves the combustion characteristics, while the time spent cooking 1 kg of yam is not significantly different for rice. The briquettes thermal efficiency in stove was significantly affected by binder concentration and stove characteristics. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study including high machine output capacity, briquettes’ stability, luminous flame and reduced smokiness showed positive quality contributions to densification study and hence, suitability for domestic heating.Item Potentials of binderless boards production for sustainable building development in nigeria: a review(2023) Kolajo T.E.; Omoniyi T.E.Nigeria, a developing nation with a population of about 200 million people, is currently experiencing a national housing deficit of approximately 17 million units. With an expected annual national population growth rate of about 3% and an annual urban population growth rate of about 4%, Nigeria's population is becoming more and more concentrated in metropolitan regions, towns, and cities where housing deficits are more pronounced. The high cost of construction materials contributes majorly to Nigeria's housing problems, prompting several researches into the use of local materials as alternative building materials. In Nigeria, lignocellulosic biomass resources such as forestry residues, agricultural wastes, and industrial remnants are available in large quantities and are being investigated for use in the production of wood-based panel boards. However, the formaldehyde-based adhesives used in their manufacture emit emissions that pollute the environment and harm human health. The goal is to create cheap, environmentally friendly binder-less boards from waste lignocellulosic materials. In pursuit of a sustainable built environment in Nigeria, this review investigates the potentials of binder-less board production from lignocellulosic biomass.Item Optimization of the factors influencing biodegradation and thermal stability of banana pseudo stem fibers in nigeria(Taylor and Francis group, 2023) Oyewo A.T.; Oluwole O.O.; Ajide O.O.; Omoniyi T.E.; Kim H.; Choi Y.J; Park Y.K.; Hussain M.Lignocellulosic fibers, one of natural biopolymers, are derived from abundant banana pseudo stem (BPS) agricultural waste in different parts of Nigeria. In this study, the lignocellulosic fibers of three common banana cultivars, agbagba, paranta, and omini, were investigated to determine their chemical composition and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the experimental investigations were correlated with the corresponding Taguchi L9 orthogonal array design under three factors – fiber treatment, diameter, and cultivar type – to find the optimal factors that are pertinent to the desired biodegradation and thermal stability of the fibers. The optimization results indicated that the fiber treatment followed by diameter and the cultivar type was the most influential of the responses, respectively. However, increased cellulosic content led to higher tensile strength and modulus, while higher lignin corresponded to higher elasticity. Meanwhile, the predictions of the biodegradation and thermal stability derived from the Taguchi design via S/N ratio ANOVA and regression modeling correlated adequately with the corresponding experimental observations. Ultimately, the fibers with optimum factors were T3D1C1 and T3D1C3, where T3, D1, C1, and C3 denote that the associated fiber was treated with acetic acid, had a diameter of 60.77 μm, and belong to the cultivar type of agbagba and omini, respectively.Item Physico-chemical, thermal and micro-structural characterization of four common banana pseudo- stem fiber cultivars in nigeria(Taylor and Francis group, 2023) Oyewo A.T.; Oluwole O.O.; Ajide O.O.; Omoniyi T.E.; Akhter P.; Hamayun M.H.; Kang B.S.; Park Y.K.; Hussain H.This study explores Banana pseudo-stem fiber (BPSF) derived from BPF cultivars that are common in Nigeria. The four cultivars are known locally as Agbagba, Omini, Panbola, and Paranta. This study characterized these cultivars to gain insight into their physical, thermal and microstructural properties. The BPSFs were obtained after manual BPS retting and treated with a 2 wt. % sodium hydroxide solution to improve the fiber quality. Data from the characterization revealed the agbagba cultivar to give the highest percentage recovery (3%) and thermal stability at elevated temperatures with a residual char of 14%. The percentage of cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, and ash content were determined by chemical composition analysis. FTIR spectroscopy showed a lower lignin and hemicellulose absorption band in the agbagba cultivar while scanning electron microscopy supported the FTIR results. Agabagba’s crystallinity index (XRD) of 61.7% was higher than other cultivars, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and a biodegradation test also showed that only agbagba cultivar contained calcium and had the strongest resilience to microbial attack under simulated soil conditions. Agbagba BPSF may be a viable reinforcement in bio-fiber polymer composites needing high strength due to its balanced qualities that have been demonstrated in comparison to other cultivars.Item Effect of residence time on characteristics of torrefied sawdust produced from gmelina arborea (roxb) wood(2022) Bello R.S.; Olorunnisola A.O.; Omoniyi T.E.Biomass feedstock remains a critical ingredient in all densification studies and the process conditions under which these materials were produced are significant to its performance. Conventionally, feedstocks are utilized in briquetting without major technological processing which is consequential on product characteristics. In this study, sawdust of Gmelina arborea subjected to thermochemical pre-treatment conditions was analysed and characteristics were compared with untreated material. Materials and Methods: Untreated sawdust of Gmelina arborea wood obtained from a sawmill in Ishiagu was torrefied at three residence times of 30 min, 45 and 60 min at a temperature of 250EC in a batch reactor and the products were characterized to determine their physical and chemical characteristics. Results: The particle-size distribution of untreated sawdust showed greater proportions of coarse and fine pin particles (58.03%) and (38.00%), respectively, requiring no grind with a mean particle density of 159.30±0.02. The proximate analysis of untreated sawdust at 7.78% moisture content revealed a volatile matter content of 72.93, 2.19% ash content and 17.10% carbon content. The proximate analysis of torrefied samples revealed a significant loss in volatile matter contents to 21.02% as residence time increased to 60 min, the fixed carbon increased from 17.10-65.38% and calorific values from 17.38 MJ kgG1 for raw sawdust to 26.28 MJ kgG1 as residence time increases. Reduction in volatile matter contents increased the energy values of torrefied sawdust. Conclusion: Thermochemical pretreatment of the feedstock significantly increase the material fixed carbon content and energy values of the Torrefied sample, reduced the volatile matter-the smoke-generating component of sawdust considerably and improved the product’s characteristics in briquetting.Item Effects of binder concentrations and soaking time on combustion characteristics of briquettes produced from fermented gmelina arborea (roxb) sawdust and used print paper(Black Sea Agricultural Research Institute (KTAE) Samsun, Türkiye, 2022) Bello R.S.; Olorunnisola A.O.; Omoniyi T.E.; Onilude M.A.Low-density briquettes are known for having several undesirable characteristics, such as an intense yellow flame and smokiness that are too high for domestic applications. The pretreatment of feedstock has been identified as a tool for addressing these issues; however, process costs and variability conditions has significant impact on the selection and performance of these methods. Consequent on these, fermentation method was employed to investigate the effects of binder concentration and soaking time on briquettes produced from fermented G. arborea sawdust and used print paper binder in this work. Untreated sawdust samples were collected from sawmill's dumpsite and soaked for 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours under mesophilic and anaerobic conditions while used print paper were converted into pulped fiber. Briquette mix ratio by percentage weight proportions varied from (10:90-50:50) % dry basis. A statistical analysis of briquette densities revealed a significant positive correlation between the densities of fermented briquettes and the binder concentration at (p<0.05). Thermal efficiency decreased with increase in binder concentration with no significant difference in fermentation time, while the specific fuel consumption increased with increase in binder concentration. Fermentation time and binder concentration slightly improved the combustion characteristics of briquettes. Economic analysis suggested economic viability of the process.Item Development and performance evaluation of a low-cost paper egg tray making machine(2022) Amoo K.; Omoniyi T.E.; Onilude M.A.Chicken eggs are extremely fragile and require protective packaging for handling, storage and delivery. Paper egg tray, the most globally acceptable package for eggs, is often im- ported, costly and scarce in Nigeria due to difficulties in procurement and management of standard machines for trays’ local production. Therefore, this study was intended to lo- cally develop and evaluate the performance of a low-cost paper egg tray-making machine to ease the local production and distribution of paper egg trays in Nigeria. Using metal scraps as construction materials and a sand-casting method for mould manufacture, a 30- cell paper egg tray-making machine was developed, and its performance was evaluated. Power rating determination of the machine was done using Logger Interface Program. The paper egg trays having dimensions of 300 ×300mm; cell diameter of 35mm; cell depth of 25mm; and wet and dry weights of 298.0 g and 86.0 g, respectively, were produced. The vibration resistance of the manufactured trays was compared with existing oness at a frequency of 5 Hz. The machine of 1.4 Kw power rating and sand-cast aluminum-alloy moulds was developed at a total cost of N76, 720 ($210). The machine could be oper- ated manually with a minimum of one employee, using reciprocating mould movement at a capacity of ten trays per hour. An acceptable paper egg tray was obtained with Chip- board (65.0%) and Newsprint (35.0%) wastepaper mix, fabric-mesh hole-size of ≤0.6 mm and pulp slurry of 4.0% consistency. The vibration resistance result showed that the egg failure by the manufactured and existing paper egg trays was moderate and comparable. The machine development could encourage waste management, youth employment, and affordable local paper egg tray manufacture and supply in Nigeria.Item The design and construction of a pulp molding machine(2021) Kolajo T.E.; Onilude M.A.; Omoniyi T.E.; Oladosu O.T.The conversion of fibrous wastes into useful packaging materials has become imperative to effectively manage the vast amount of waste paper and paper products. A laboratory sized machine was developed to mold pulp slurry into a bowl by suction. The processes included collection of waste papers, sorting to grades, cleaning, refining, molding and drying. The machine comprises of the mold, counter mold, slurry vat and lowering mechanism. The machine works on the suction principle with a pulp slurry consistency of about 5%.