Fig. 5 displays thermal analysis results using DSC obtained for:
(a) a briquette prepared by boiling the mixture of charcoal, starch
and water (before pressing); and (b) a briquette obtained by pressing
charcoal powder mixed with a binder (starch and water heated
at 100 C). Sample (a) demonstrates a doublet between 450 and
500 C; the first peak is associated with the charcoal burning,
and the second peak is associated with the polymer burning. In
(b) there is only one large peak, indicating a blend formation with
only one peak burning, i.e., a more homogeneous charcoal–polymer
mixture. After these results, all the samples were prepared
by the second method.