Sustainable Briquette Production from Hazelnut Shell Waste: The Significance of Particle Size in Quality Enhancement

Abstract : Interest in biomass briquettes as a fossil fuel substitute has increased due to the growing need for sustainable energy sources. The impact of hazelnut shell charcoal particle size on briquette quality is examined in this study, with particular attention paid to important variables such bulk density, compressive strength, moisture content, ash content, volatile matter, and fixed carbon content. Three different particle size treatments (20 mesh, 40 mesh, and 60 mesh) were analyzed using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five replications. The results indicated that finer particle sizes (60 mesh) significantly improved briquette quality, exhibiting higher bulk density (0.975 g/cm³), compressive strength (58.38 N/cm²), and fixed carbon content (68.25%), while reducing moisture content (7.13%), ash content (2.85%), and volatile matter (21.65%). These findings highlight the importance of optimizing particle size to enhance the physical and combustion properties of biomass briquettes. Briquette manufacture from hazelnut shell waste offers a viable sustainable bioenergy strategy that supports waste reduction and the growth of renewable energy sources.