Optimizing energy properties and performance of household briquettes from Co-torrefied Sugarcane bagasse and Bamboo Dust

This study investigates the co-torrefaction of sugarcane bagasse (SGB) and bamboo dust (BD) to produce high-performance household briquettes. Co-torrefaction was carried out in a tubular furnace, and the effects of temperature, retention time, particle size, and biomass blend ratio on higher heating value (HHV) and energy yield (EY) were optimized using Optimal Combined Design (OCD). The torrefied SGB-BD under optimal conditions was briquetted using a manually operated machine. Physicochemical analyses were performed on both torrefied and non-torrefied samples to assess the effects of thermal treatment, while mechanical performance was evaluated through compressive strength tests and water-boiling experiments. The optimal HHV of 22.45MJ/kg was achieved at 300°C with a retention time of 23min. The best-performing briquettes, formulated from 60 wt.% SGB and 40 wt.% BD, demonstrated improved ignition time (reduced from 232 s to 179 s), a slower fuel combustion rate (from 0.039 g/s to 0.027 g/s), and a reduction in water-boiling time (from 998 s to 847 s) when compared with the least desirable formulation. However, traditional charcoal still achieved the shortest boiling time (591 s) and lower fuel combustion rate of 0.019 g/s . These results suggest that co-torrefied SGB–BD briquettes offer competitive combustion performance and practical suitability for domestic energy applications.