Towards Sustainable Energy: Densification Pressure Effects on Combustion Properties of Khaya senegalensis Energy Pellets
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36877/aafrj.a0000584Abstract
This research investigates the combustion properties of Malaysian Khaya senegalensis wood energy pellets and examines the effects of densification at different pelletizing pressures. Despite the potential of densified wood pellets as a renewable energy source towards utilizing a sustainable energy, the differentiated influence of densification on combustion properties, especially in connection with different densification pressures, is still insufficiently researched. The main objective is to quantify the combustion properties including ash content, fixed carbon, volatile matter and calorific value of energy pellets. In this study, this woody biomass was converted into pellets through a densification process that covered a pressure range of 6.28 to 31.4 MPa during pelletization. The resulting pellets were subjected to a series of tests to methodically characterize their combustion properties. The material exhibited an ash content of 3.69% when pelletized under a 6.28 MPa pressure, a fixed carbon content of 11.54% under a 6.28 MPa pressure, a moisture content of 10.48% when densified at 18.8 MPa of pressure, and a calorific value of 19.54 MJ/kg at 12.5MPa. Additionally, the volatile content was observed at 85.74% under a 25.1MPa pressure. In conclusion, this study determined that pelletization pressure significantly influences combustion properties and thus providing an improved understanding of the influence of compression on combustion behavior at different pelletization pressures.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ras Izzati Ismail, Chu Yee Khor , Mohd Hafif Basha Mohamad Jamel Basha, Alina Rahayu Mohamed, Yit Leng Lee , Norawanis Abd Razak, Nur Lailina Makhtar
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