Biofuel Production From Wood Shavings

Abstract

In this study, wood shavings were sourced from a sawmill in Ibadan, Nigeria and treated to a 12% moisture content for size reduction using a hammer mill. A measuring balance was used to weigh the samples in increments of 1kg, and the wood shavings were processed with the assistance of the hammer mill for size reduction. The particles were then passed on to a pre-treatment chamber where water and tetraoxosulphate VI acid were added to the blend. The mixture was then pumped into a fermentation chamber where heat was introduced by a heater up to 100C. The experiment was conducted for various masses of wood shavings, and the amount of biofuel produced was measured in liters. The efficiency of the hammer mill was 84.6%, with a throughput capacity of 13.63 kg/hr. The mean efficiency of the pre-treatment chamber was calculated to be 82.29% with throughput capacity of 38.4 kg/hr. The final product, ethanol, was assessed for its physical and chemical properties in a laboratory setting, and it was found to be combustible and supported ignition. The amount of ethanol produced increased with the amount of feedstock used.