Investigation of energy potential and chemical constituents of khat (Catha edulis f.) cultivar waste in Ethiopia

Abstract

Agriculture generates significant amounts of waste, including waste from khat crops in Ethiopia. This study was conducted to investigate the energy potential and chemical compounds of khat variety wastes from different regions of Ethiopia. The properties studied include moisture content (weight basis), bulk density, dry density, calorific value, proximate and ultimate analysis, and screening of chemical compounds using the method GC–MS. In the GC–MS analysis, 23 compounds were identified in the n-hexane extract oil, accounting for 100% of the total. The solid fuel potential of the waste of selected khat varieties of different agroecological origins, namely Gurage, Gelemso, Wondo, and Bahir Dar khat waste, was investigated. The results showed that moisture content (weight basis) ranged from 64.5% to 74.3%, calorific value ranged from 17.88 to 20.78 MJ/kg, moisture content (dry basis) ranged from 8.71% to 9.28%, ash content ranged from 3.33 to 5.05%, volatile content between 62.39% and 68.40%, solid carbon content between 19.56% and 23.73%, sulfur content between 0.17% and 0.21%, and dry density between 550 and 650 kg/m³.