Enhancement of Physical Properties and Energy Costs in Bagasse Pellets using Agro-waste Additive

This study investigates the improvement of physical characteristics and energy costs in bagasse pellets using agro-waste additives. The additives were coffee grounds (CG) and corn cobs (CC), with varying proportions. The bagasse pellets were evaluated according to the standards set by the Pellet Fuels Institute. The results demonstrate that increasing the additive content significantly improved both bulk density and durability. The study revealed that the addition of coffee grounds and corn cobs at 5% improved the physical properties compared to no additives (0%). The bulk density values increased by 5.06% for coffee grounds and 3.13% for corn cobs. Furthermore, the durability values increased by 0.76% for coffee grounds and 0.37% for corn cobs. However, coffee ground additives enhance the quality of pellet fuel more effectively than corn cob additives. Due to the fine and uniform particles of coffee grounds, this results in reduced void spaces between the particles. Additionally, the coffee grounds act as a natural binder during the densification process, which enhances the durability of the pellets. It was shown that the energy costs associated with the production process of bagasse pellets using additives decreased. The reductions were 8.32% for coffee grounds and 7.55% for corn cobs. Thus, the agro-waste additives were coffee grounds and corn cobs, which improve the physical properties of the pellet. Additionally, the additives lower energy costs and enhance the performance of bagasse-based biomass pellets, providing an energy solution for a sustainable energy future.