Determination of physical and chemical properties of oak and olive tree residues for the production of briquettes

Abstract

High rates of waste generation and energy consumption are considered to be the most important environmental problems. Both of these issues are contributing to climate change. A significant change in production, consumption, as well as waste management models is considered to be an appropriate solution to these environmental issues. This can be done by focusing on recycling, waste reduction, and change in energy models, as well as continuous assessment. In order to ensure the future generations needs while meeting the needs of the present, the use of renewable energy sources must be encouraged, since fossil fuels are getting depleted. One source of renewable energy is biomass, in particular residues of olive and forest trees. Some countries, such as Southern Spain, began to use biomass generated from olive pruning to produce briquettes for heating purposes. Still, the use of briquettes made from biomass is not yet widespread. In addition, prior to the use of briquettes, one must ensure that the properties of the residues fall are acceptable. The aim of this project is to study the physical properties of olive grove and oak trees pruning residues, prior to briquettes large scale production and use. In particular, the properties studied are the moisture content, ash content, size, and bulk and particles densities. The case study is done for Lebanese olive and oak trees in the northern district of El Koura. This study is a first of its kind for Lebanon. This project is an integral part of the SABioP project funded by the European Union. To determine the physical properties of interest, experimental procedures according to European norms were performed at the University of Balamand. The lowest moisture content was detected in Bechmezzine for olive residues (26.79%) and in Balamand for oak residues (31.44%). For the ash content, the lowest values were found for the Balamand region for both oak and olive residues (7.06 and 5.39 %, respectively). Moreover, the values of particle density were the lowest in Bechmezzine for olive residues (1.12 g/cm3 ) and in Balamand region for oak residues (0.99 g/ cm3 ). Similarly, the lowest values of bulk density were observed in Bechmezzine for olive residues (337.79 g/cm3 ) and in Balamand for oak clippings (285.00 g/cm3 ). Results were consistent with available literature.