S1 File -

<div><p>The leaves of ’khat’ (<i>Catha edulis Forsk</i>), a plant widely grown in Ethiopia are chewed by local people for their stimulant action. Its branches and part of the leaves are thrown as solid waste. The objectives of this study was to characterize fuel briquette made from this waste disposed in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. First, charcoal fines were prepared from the <i>khat</i> branches and the leaves. The charcoal fines were then mixed with 20% of clay as a binder. It was followed by molding the mixture in a press machine to produce Branch Charcoal Briquette (BCB) and Leaves Charcoal Briquette (LCB). The experimental results showed the Carbonized Branch Briquette Charcoal (CBBC) has an average calorific values of 19,890 kJ/kg and its other performance parameters are also within the acceptable range. Hence, the city’s <i>khat</i> residue can be easily processed into CBBC to substitute yearly 480 ton of charcoal and reduce roughly 1,020 tons of carbon dioxide emission to the environment. The Carbonized Leaves Briquette Charcoal (CLBC) did not gave satisfactory results. Hence, it had been recommended to be studied further.</p></div>

Publication Details

Journal
Figshare
Published
2024-11-20
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313952.s001
Primary Topic
Energy and Environment Impacts
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

S1 File -

Figshare
Energy and Environment Impacts
article

S1 File -

article en

Abstract

<div><p>The leaves of ’khat’ (<i>Catha edulis Forsk</i>), a plant widely grown in Ethiopia are chewed by local people for their stimulant action. Its branches and part of the leaves are thrown as solid waste. The objectives of this study was to characterize fuel briquette made from this waste disposed in Hawassa city, Ethiopia. First, charcoal fines were prepared from the <i>khat</i> branches and the leaves. The charcoal fines were then mixed with 20% of clay as a binder. It was followed by molding the mixture in a press machine to produce Branch Charcoal Briquette (BCB) and Leaves Charcoal Briquette (LCB). The experimental results showed the Carbonized Branch Briquette Charcoal (CBBC) has an average calorific values of 19,890 kJ/kg and its other performance parameters are also within the acceptable range. Hence, the city’s <i>khat</i> residue can be easily processed into CBBC to substitute yearly 480 ton of charcoal and reduce roughly 1,020 tons of carbon dioxide emission to the environment. The Carbonized Leaves Briquette Charcoal (CLBC) did not gave satisfactory results. Hence, it had been recommended to be studied further.</p></div>

Figshare
Openalex Percentile: Top 80%
Energy and Environment Impacts
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.