Alfina Taurida Alaydrus, Kholik Hidayatullah, Susi Rahayu, Ricky Indrayadi Saputra, Hurnah, Siti Rubi'ah, Weny Yulianingsih, I. Wayan Sudiarta
The global energy crisis intensifies the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. In response, research is increasingly targeting abundant biomass waste for conversion into renewable energy. Corn cobs, a widely available agricultural waste, represent a promising solution through their transformation into high-efficiency charcoal briquettes, offering a sustainable and carbon-neutral fuel source. However, the inherent mechanical weakness of corn cob particles requires the incorporation of an adhesive to achieve the necessary briquette strength and durability. This study aimed to analyze the effect of tapioca flour adhesive composition on the density, compressive strength, elastic modulus, and energy value of charcoal briquettes. Charcoal briquettes were produced from corn cob waste using a carbonization process at 300 °C, with the addition of adhesives, the mixtures were molded into a mold measuring 5 cm × 5 cm × 5 cm. Experimental results demonstrated that higher binder concentrations linearly increased the density, compressive strength, and elastic modulus of the charcoal briquettes (R2 ≈ 1). The optimal mechanical properties were achieved at 45% adhesive composition, with density, compressive strength, and elastic modulus values were 0.818 g/cm3, 3.6188 MPa, and 95.281 MPa, respectively. Conversely, the highest calorific value was observed at 5% adhesive composition, with a calorific value of 6.693 kcal/g. These results establish a definitive correlation between adhesive concentration and briquette properties, offering a scalable pathway to convert abundant corn cob waste into tunable mechanical and thermal properties, a commercially viable and high-performance solid renewable energy. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.
Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Mataram, Lombok, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Brawijaya, Malang, Indonesia
