Mechanical Handling Characteristics of Briquettes Produced from Water Hyacinth and Plantain Peel as Binder

Aims: The effect of process variable on shattering index and compressive strength characteristics of the water hyacinth briquettes were evaluated. Study Design: The experimental design for this study was 5 x 3 x 4 Randomized Complete Block Design. Place and Duration of Study: The samples were collected from Port- Harcourt, Niger Delta and are located between latitudes 4o 2" and 6o 2" North of the equator and longitudes 5o1" and 7o 2" East of the Greenwich meridian, between Jan 2009 and March 2010. The laboratory work was conducted in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methodology: The experimental design for this study was 5 x 3 x 4 Randomized Complete Block Design. This study involved three particle sizes of dried and ground water hyacinth ( D1, D2, D3) at levels 0.5, 1.6 and 4mm, pressure (P1, P2, P3, P4 ) at level 3.0, 5.0, 7.0 and 9.0MPa with plantain peels were used as binder ( B1, B2- B3, B4, B5 ) in the ratio of 10, 20, 30 40 and 50% by weight of residue. They were arranged in Randomize Complete Block Design with three replications per experiment. Results: The shattering index and compressive strength of the briquettes produced from