Author S. Kosalanun, P. Pramot and N. Phathanaim
Year 2011
Abstract
Fat dregs from wastewater sumps and the residue of fat dregs, which is left after the extraction of lipids from fat dregs are required to be treated properly to prevent environmental pollution and appropriate treatment costs money. This research aimed to investigate the potential of the utilization of the above wastes as fuels for combustion in factories by mixing them with agricultural wastes. This work studied the heat of combustion of the mixtures when the quantities of fat dregs and residue of fat dregs were varied between 25-75%. Grinded agricultural wastes used in this study were rich husks, sawdust, cassava rhizomes, and corn cobs. The results of this work showed that the mixture of corn cobs and fat dregs was most suitable for further studies and development of combustible fuel. It was found that the heat of combustion of fat dregs was 13.706 ± 0.442 kJ/g which was lower than saw dust and corncobs. Saw dust and corncobs had the heat of combustion of 13.929 ± 0.096 kJ/g and 14.041 ± 0.289 kJ/g, respectively, which were higher than those of other agricultural wastes while that of rice husks was the lowest i.e. 11.533 ± 0.728 kJ/g. The heat of combustions were of the mixtures of fat dregs correlated with the quantity of fat dregs. Meanwhile, the heat of combustions of the mixtures of the residue of fat dregs and sawdust, and corncobs were correlated reversely with the quantity of the residue of fat dregs. The mixtures containing 50% of fat dregs or residue of fat dregs and above were semi-solid therefore further processes might be needed for convenient utilization as combustible fuel.