Coal Briquettes

Coal briquettes have long been produced as a means of using up 'small coal', the finely broken coal inevitably produced during the mining process. Otherwise this is difficult to burn as it is hard to arrange adequate airflow through a fire of these small pieces; also such fuel tends to be drawn up and out of the chimney by the draught, giving visible black smoke.

Charcoal Briquettes

Burning Ogatan

Charcoal briquettes sold for cooking food can include:

• Wood Charcoal (Fuel)
• Lignite Coal (Fuel)
• Anthracite Coal (Fuel)
• Limestone (Ash Colourant)
• Starch (Binder)
• Borax (Release Agent)
• Sodium Nitrate (Accelerant)
• Sawdust
• Wax (Some Brands: Binder, Accelerant and Ignition Facilitator).
• Chaff (Rice Chaff and Peanut Chaff)
Some briquettes are compressed and dried brown coal extruded into hard blocks. This is a common technique for low rank coals. They are typically dried to 12-18% moisture, and are primarily used in household and industry.

Biomass Briquette

Biomass briquettes are made from agricultural waste and are a replacement for fossil fuels such as oil or coal, and can be used to heat boilers in manufacturing plants, and also have applications in developing countries. Biomass briquettes are a technically renewable source of energy and their emissions do not constitute an anthropogenic greenhouse gas, unlike emissions from traditional coal briquettes, as any carbon released was taken directly from the atmosphere in recent history, not sequestered deep in the earth during the carboniferous period as with coal.

A number of companies in India have switched from furnace oil to biomass briquettes to save costs on boiler fuels. The use of biomass briquettes is predominant in the southern parts of India, where coal and furnace oil are being replaced by biomass briquettes. A number of units in Maharashtra (India) are also using biomass briquettes as boiler fuel. Use of biomass briquettes can earn Carbon Credits for reducing emissions in the atmosphere. Lanxess India and a few other large companies are supposedly using biomass briquettes for earning Carbon Credits by switching their boiler fuel. Biomass briquettes also provide more calorific value/kg and save around 30-40 percent of boiler fuel costs.

A popular biomass briquette emerging in developed countries takes a waste produce such as sawdust, compresses it and then extrudes it to make a reconstituted log that can replace firewood. It is a similar process to forming a wood pellet but on a larger scale. There are no binders involved in this process. The natural lignin in the wood binds the particles of wood together to form a solid. Burning a wood briquette is far more efficient than burning firewood. Moisture content of a briquette can be as low as 4%, whereas green firewood may be as high as 65%.

Coal and Coal Dust

Coal, a combustible, sedimentary rock, has been used for centuries as a reliable energy source. Today, coal provides 30% of global energy demand, and in 2013, coal production reached record highs; it’s no secret that coal is the backbone of our energy grid, providing the electricity we need to turn on lights, heat our homes, and cook our meals.

While coal provides a dependable, cost-effective energy source, it is not without its problems. Coal is an incredibly dusty material, presenting all sorts of problems, not only during processing, but throughout transport as well. In addition to presenting difficult handling issues, coal dust:

• Is a health hazard when breathed in

• Is capable of spontaneous combustion, which unfortunately, has seen the result of numerous processing facilities meeting their demise

• Results in significant product loss due to dust being carried away

• Can form problematic build-up in mechanical components

Despite these problems, coal is still a valuable, abundant source of energy, and fortunately, there are many methods for effectively dealing with coal dust in order to alleviate all of the problems listed above.

The most effective way to deal with coal dust is to stop it at the source. Coal dust is generated most during mining and crushing, and if suppressed immediately, there is a minimized need to collect and further process fugitive dust.

There are a variety of spray systems available to suppress dust as it’s made. Since coal is a hydrophobic material, meaning it is not attracted to water, various chemicals are often used to aid in suppression techniques. Coal dust is suppressed as it’s made, and then often again throughout processing, typically at transfer points where dust may again be generated, such as when transferring from one conveyor to another. This is a cost-effective and efficient way to stop coal dust at the source, minimizing the need for further processing techniques.

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