Physicochemical comparison between rice husk and carbonized rice husk for considering their potential as bio-briquette fuels.

Massive utilization of firewood faced problems related to deforestation and harmful emissions. Indonesia experiences the fastest deforestation rate in the world (1000 km²/year). Household air pollution (HAP) resulting from the smoke of burning firewood causes premature deaths of around 165,000 to 68,000 each year in Indonesia. Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity are projected to be clean energy sources for households; however, switching to LPG fuel or electricity for remote rural households is constrained by their limited financial ability. Therefore, shifting the energy supply of rural communities from wood to fuel from agricultural waste can reduce the risk of deforestation, while reducing HAP is done by forming it into bio-briquettes. Manufacturing rice husk (RH) or carbonized rice husk (CRH) for bio-briquette fuels is intended to solve the problem of massive woody biomass and improve the combustion process to reduce the risk of HAP. This paper specifically investigates and compares the physical and chemical properties of RH and CRH as a first step to verifying their potential as bio-briquette materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]