A Study on Thermal Properties of Mangosteen Wood Briquette mixed with Carbon Black

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the calorific value, moisture content, and ash content of briquettes produced from mangosteen charcoal combined with carbon black in quantities of 20, 30, and 40 grams. Carbon black was mixed with 3.0 kilograms of finely ground mangosteen charcoal, using 0.25 kilograms of tapioca starch and 2.0 liters of water as a binder. The briquettes were then compressed using a cold press method. The thermal properties were then studied according to ASTM standards. The results showed that increasing the amount of carbon black in the mangosteen charcoal briquettes resulted in an increase in calorific value, but a decrease in moisture content and ash content. The briquettes with and without carbon black had calorific values of 25,477 ± 237 and 25,699 ± 124 kJ/kg, respectively. These values were higher than the standard value for community-produced briquettes  238/2547. The briquettes with various amounts of carbon black had moisture content and ash content of 9.44 ± 0.86%, 6.94 ± 0.31%, 9.10 ± 0.79%, and 3.88 ± 0.23%, respectively. These values were lower than the standard values for community-produced charcoal 657/2547, which specify moisture content and ash content of no more than 10% and 8.0%, respectively. In conclusion, the addition of carbon black to mangosteen charcoal briquettes can improve the thermal properties, making them a more efficient fuel source. However, adding too much carbon black can make the briquettes too dense, which can make them brittle. Therefore, further research is needed to determine the optimal amount of carbon black to improve the thermal properties of mangosteen charcoal briquettes.