Faecal matter-saw dust composite briquette and pellet fuels: production and characteristics

Abstract

This work relates to the sustainable development goal (SDG) 6.2 which relates to access to adequate sanitation and hygiene. Raw sludge emptied on to drying beds inside greenhouses was carbonized from milled materials (faecal matter, saw dust, banana stalks and market waste) and a binder (molasses and faecal matter). Four percentages (25, 50, 75 and 100) were variedly used. The average calorific value of faecal matter was found to be 13.1MJ/kg with average moisture content of 9.1%, volatile matter of 2.2%, ash content of 48.3% and fixed carbon of 40.4%. Caloric values of market waste, sawdust, banana talk and human waste were respectively found to be 2.5, 2.7, 3.2 and 4.0. The briquettes and pellets showed no pathogens, concentration of heavy metals were insignificant. Mixture of sawdust and faecal matter took shorter duration to boil water compared to faecal matter mixed with other biomass materials.