Palm oil is the most widely sold oil across the globe. The production of palm oil results in
vast amounts of biomass waste. The palm kernel shells (PKS) can be used for energy
production through gasification or combined heat and power (CHP). After gasification,
some PKS remains as charred residue. In this manuscript, briquettes/pellets are produced
from these biochars. The palm kernel shell biochars (PKSB) show very high calorific value
exceeding typical values for biomass. The effects of water content, compaction pressure,
feed particle size, compaction retention time, and the use of starch as a binder have been
studied. The tensile crushing strength, impact resistance, and water resistance (immersion
tests) show that the starch binder is imperative for suitable briquette quality. The use of
starch increases the tensile crushing strength from less than 40 kN m2 to more than
800 kN m2 in the weakest (longitudinal) orientation. The tensile crushing strength of the
starch-bound briquettes increases as their water content evaporates during storage and
curing. It is speculated that the evaporation of water from the starch-bound sample allows
for better cementing of the starch and PKSB particles.
© 2014 Elsev