Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: Processing water hyacinth into biomass Briquettes for cooking purposes
by O.A. Ighodalo, K. Zoukumor, C. Egbon, S. Okoh and K. Odu

Abstract:
The processing of agricultural wastes into biomass is a strategy towards the development of alternative energy sources. Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant which could be used as an alternative energy source to wood. This paper presents the processing of water hyacinth into biomass briquettes for cooking purposes. The water hyacinth which was harvested, dried and ground into powder was mixed with starch binder before being compressed into briquettes in a manually operated briquetting machine. The briquettes produced were sun-dried and comparative cooking tests were carried out by burning the briquette in a mold while cooking some food items. Some quantity of Water was boiled and, Indomie, Rice and Yam were cooked. Comparisons of the cooking time obtained were made with the time obtained when the same quantities of foods were cooked on a conventional kerosene stove. Results obtained shows that water hyacinth can be processed into briquettes and used for cooking purposes.

Keywords: water hyacinth, biomass, briquettes, cooking test

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