Good afternoon dear panelists, I am Zhyca Nacional and these are my
groupmates.
Angela: Good afternoon, I am Angela Jordao
Chloe: I am Chloe franchesca raguero
Zhyca: Charcoal is commonly used as a source of energy for cooking, heating, and
various industrial purposes, contributing to the convenience of life. It is also cheaper
compared to other sources providing an efficient fuel source. However, the
traditional method of creating charcoal typically involves the use of carbonization of
wood which impacts the environment through deforestation.
Zhyca: Therefore, today we are here to present to you a viable solution to these
problems. Our research is all about the use of banana peels and other biomass
materials as an alternative charcoal. Being rich in carbon, banana peels are a viable
material for charcoal production. According to Supriadi S. et al., (March 2022),
banana peels contain lignocellulose, including 58.5% lignin, 41.8% cellulose and
38.1% hemicellulose, which are the main ingredients that must be present in the
raw material for charcoal briquettes. Additionally, billions of tons of banana peels
are discarded each year, making this study an opportunity to address both waste
management and energy needs by repurposing these peels into a useful fuel
source.
Background of the study: Explain
Chloe: This graph, from the research paper by Xiang Zuzhang et al., (February
2017), illustrates deforestation caused by charcoal production, and deforestation
caused by other factors in the 17 countries with the highest rates of deforestation
globally. As said in the graph the dark green bars indicate deforestation caused by
charcoal production. Even with just this information, it is seen that we need to take
action or find an alternative to traditional charcoal production. Even though it is said
in the graph that there are other factors that causes deforestation, we still can’t
overlook the fact that the Philippines is included in the 17 countries with the highest
rate of deforestation globally.
Chloe:
Objective:
Angela: Through the research problems we have associated research objective or
goals for this study. This study aims to develop banana peel-based briquette
formulations with other biomass materials such as sawdust and banana leaves, and
compare their ignition time, burn duration, and ash production to traditional
charcoal. It also seeks to identify the optimum formulation and determine whether
new combinations offer significant improvements over previous research.
Furthermore, the study highlights the potential of banana peel briquettes as a
viable alternative to traditional charcoal.
Significance of the study
Zhyca: Now moving on to the significance of the study. This research offers multiple
benefits. Environmentally, it reduces both deforestation on and organic waste.
Economically, it presents a cost-effective alternative to commercial charcoal.
Furthermore, it provides valuable insights for communities and future researchers
exploring the same concept. This shows that this study not only addresses one
concern but two: by providing an alternative and reducing organic waste by
repurposing it into something useful.
Angela: next the materials and equipments used are shown. For the main material
we have the banana peels and the other biomass materials which is the sawdust
and banana leaves and for the binder which is the cornstarch and water. For the
process we first sundried the banana peels, banana leaves, and sawdust for about
3-7 days. After it has been dried, we put it in a kiln (can container) and we
carbonized it, handling it carefully throughout the process. Then we pulverized the
banana peel, and banana leaves and sifted it. Now we made the binder and then
mixed it with the banana peel powder and the sawdust and banana leaves. Lastly,
we dried the molded briquettes for about 5 days.
Chloe: In this study, we conducted a series of tests to evaluate the performance of
banana-based briquettes as an alternative to traditional charcoal. The experiments
were carried out in a controlled environment with parental supervision, focusing on
key factors such as ignition time, burn duration. The formulation of banana peels,
banana leaves, and sawdust has the highest mean with 249.01 minutes, which
means they burned and sustained heat for the longest time. While the traditional
charcoal had the lowest with 107.55 minutes, indicating that it burned out faster
than the banana peel-based briquettes. With the other formulations of the banana
peel-based briquette having 193.29 minutes & 188.34 minutes, also showing higher
mean than the traditional charcoal, we found that in terms of burn duration the
banana peel-briquettes performed better.
Result:
Angela: For the ignition test, we measured the time it took for each briquette to
ignite from the moment it made contact with fire. Results shows that formulation of
banana peels and banana leaves showed an average ignition time of 0.75 minutes.
Similarly, the banana peels, banana leaves, & sawdust also showed 0.75 minutes as
its average ignition time. Both these formulations had the lowest mean, indicating
that they ignited for the shortest amount of time out of the four groups. While
banana peels and sawdust with a mean of 0.84 minutes and traditional charcoal at
0.1 minutes. The data revealed that the traditional charcoal took the longest time to
ignite. The standard deviation results showed low variability, suggesting consistent
ignition times across replicates.
Zhyca: For the ash production banana peels, banana leaves, and sawdust has the
highest ash production with a mean of 9g of ash. While traditional charcoal with a
mean of 8.67g of ash and following closely with a mean of 8.33g of ash is the
banana peels and banana leaves briquette. The banana peel and sawdust briquette
had the lowest weight of ash at 7.33g. The data also indicated a low standard
deviation than their mean, indicating a consistent performance across replicates.
Chloe: We therefore conclude that while banana briquettes only showed beer
performance in the burn duration test, the differences in ignition and cooking times
were minimal. Although they take longer to ignite and cook food, they burn for an
advantageous amount of me, making them more efficient in the long run.
Additionally, since they are made from waste materials, they help reduce
agricultural waste and decrease reliance on wood-based charcoal, making them a
more sustainable and alternative charcoal.