Biomass Briquettes From Açaí ( Euterpe oleracea Mart.) Seeds As A Renewable Energy Alternative

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🔬研究者:Provides a methodological framework for briquetting of fruit seeds, useful for biomass energy research.

🏢実務担当者:For companies in agro-processing, offers a route to convert seed waste into solid fuel, potentially reducing waste disposal costs and generating revenue.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights the potential of waste-to-energy in agricultural policy, especially for regions with high fruit processing.

In this study, the use of açaí ( Euterpe oleracea Mart.) briquettes, with gelatinized cassava starch binder, applied at a pressure of 25 MPa, at a temperature of 25°C, serves as a sustainable alternative for renewable energy generation. Global energy demand, combined with anthropogenic emissions and the physical depletion of finite fossil reserves, accelerates the need to transition toward sustainable, renewable energy alternatives. The agro‐industrial processing of fruit generates a massive volume of waste, as the fruit seeds account for 80% of its total weight. In processing methodology, the biomass from raw açaí seeds was washed, dried, ground to a standardized particle size of 0.841 mm (20 Mesh), and blended in a 100 g to 40 g ratio with a liquid solution of cassava starch activated via gelatinization at 65°C. Comprehensive physical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal characterization is being conducted using bulk density profiling, universal axial compression testing, ultimate and proximate elemental analyses, as well as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X‐ray Diffractometry (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA/DTG). The engineered bio‐briquettes achieved a stabilized bulk density of 985.6 kg.m −3 , reflecting a 62.22% volume reduction and densification increase relative to the raw seeds' 601.9 kg.m −3 . Ultimate analysis revealed an elemental profile comprising 48.15% carbon, 9.90% hydrogen, and an environmentally low sulfur content of 0.68%, delivering a higher heating value (HHV) of 19.75 MJ.kg −1 and a lower calorific value (LCV) of 17.55 MJ.kg −1 . Mechanical durability testing confirmed a peak load capacity, withstanding a progressive force of 3.08 kN and registering an axial compressive strength of 2.00 MPa, a value that significantly outperforms standard commercial thresholds and warm‐pressed alternatives.

• semanticscholar https://doi.org/10.1002/eng2.70968first seen 2026-07-21 05:24:40