piling and transporting of the briquettes. This MRC value is near
the values obtained for briquettes produced using different kinds
of wood (Brito and Nucci, 1984). New studies are in progress to
examine different concentrations of binder and compression pressures
for the best conditions during the production of the
briquettes.
In the last 5 years, many changes were instituted in the residue
collection process in the sugar-cane/alcohol industry, resulting in
residues with a lower humidity content and a higher volume of
water re-used by the process. TGA data show (Teixeira et al.,
2007) that the dried SCBFA in natura had only 20% organic material
and 77% residual mass (ash). Today with the use of filter and belt
presses, the charcoal concentration is in the order of 34% and
62% residual mass (ash) as is shown in Fig. 3.